The Dangerous Rise of Kinetic Diplomacy

Not sure we are experiencing a unique rise in Kinetic (or what used to be called "Big Stick" or "Gunboat") diplomacy. From the Second Barbary War (1815), Opium Wars (1840, 1856), to the Spratly Islands dispute (Oct, 2015), the US has flexed its military might many times before Trump took office. And I'm not sure bringing the stick along with the carrot is necessarily a dangerous thing. Appeasement carries its own dangers.