I think you will find the book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" written by John Perkins, very insightful.

Some countries need an outside enemy to survive and push people to only focus on foreign policy while in reality, people are dying because they can't find a home. Others need low price hamburgers ... and this isn't going to happen if you start sharing your power and food with countries that aren't under the control of the lordship.

“We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.” ~Henry John Temple Palmerston