That matters to Americans because preventing threats is less costly than responding after they grow. A crisis left to deepen can demand more diplomacy, humanitarian assistance and security resources later. It can also destabilize regions that matter to international shipping and commerce.

Force alone cannot answer the conditions that allow violent groups to recruit. Where citizens see corruption, unemployment, impunity and distant government, extremists can present themselves as an alternative even when their rule brings brutality and fear. African governments must pair effective security with competent public services, honest institutions and economic opportunity. If people have no confidence in the state, a military victory may prove temporary.

The real story is the millions of people whose lives are defined not by a virus, but by poverty, inadequate healthcare, fragile infrastructure, limited housing, and a lack of opportunity. Ebola merely exposes conditions that have existed long before any outbreak and that will remain long after the headlines disappear.

The law of the jungle strangles the rule of law, i.e., the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

Racism endures. It finds expression in international law enforcement. Only Africans have been charged and convicted by the International Cri