International Interventions and Normative Prudence as a ‘Forgotten’ Virtue of Statecraft

This article presents a case for making normative prudence key to the debates concerning international interventions and statebuilding. Despite a rich conceptual history, contemporary IR literature seems to have forgotten the concept. We address this gap by defining the virtue through the yardsticks of deliberation, caution, foresight, and knowing the limits of one's abilities. Applying these yardsticks to the cases of the Kosovo (1999) and Iraq wars (2003), we argue that once developed in the context of international interventions, the concept of normative prudence provides an invaluable platform for assessing interventions and, if employed robustly, it can help those undertaking the interventions to prepare for the ‘day after.

Health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and frequently associated comorbidities.

PurposeTo estimate the association of chronic non-urologic conditions [i.e., fibromyalgia (FM), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)] with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).MethodsA total of 276 women with established diagnoses of IC/BPS completed a telephone interview which included demographics, self-reported medical conditions, the SF-36 health survey, and the interstitial cystitis symptom index (ICSI). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify correlates of SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores.ResultsMean patient age was 45.1 (SD 15.9) years, and 83% of the subjects were white. Mean values for the SF-36 Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) means were 39 (SD 14) and 45 (SD 12), respectively, indicating significant HRQOL reductions. Mean ICSI score was 11.27 (SD = 4.86). FM and IBS were significantly associated with worse SF-36 scores: -8 points on the PCS (p < 0.001) and -6 points on the MCS (p < 0.001). CFS and the presence of other pelvic conditions (overactive bladder, vulvodynia, endometriosis) were not significantly associated with SF-36 PCS and MCS scores.ConclusionsIn patients with IC/BPS, the presence of FM, CFS, and IBS has a significant association with HRQOL, equivalent in impact to the bladder symptoms themselves. These results emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients with IC/BPS and other conditions