Using one's military power is certainly in the playbook of international politics.    I don't like that kind of brinkmanship, but I'm also a low risk personality.      

Maybe the first time I was aware of this was being upset when Reagan bombed the Gaddafy complex  in retaliation of supporting terrorist actions.    My first reaction was bad, but Tom Harkin, a liberal iowan spoke in my city shorty after, and while he filed a mild protest, he also acknowledge that it seemed to back Gaddafi down, (and sure enough he disappeared as a key internatainal figure of terrorism).  

So maybe there are times when you have to smack a bully in the mouth.     While it may not be in my character, I can see that it works... some of the time.   It can also lead to global thermo nuclear war and it would irrational to not consider that as well.

Thanks for the answer Nate... we will see how it goes.