The problem can't be handled internally. Years of incentives, positive and negative, have confirmed this. If a country classifies as third world, you can bet that the direct cause of it is lack of strong or humane government. If we sanction them, then the dictators simply tax the hell out of the people to maintain their own quality of life. Take Iraq, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea. If we try positive reinforcement, we get Bosnia. Warlords hoarding goods and relief provided by an international effort.
The solution?
(1) Stop this f*cking quaking at the idea of full-scale military engagement. Vietnam is not going to happen again; we've gotten better, they haven't. The North Vietnamese had Soviet and Chinese support behind the scenes. Saddam Hussein has a smattering of 30 year-old Soviet and US issue tanks, guns, and anti-aircraft weaponry. To hell with "weapons inspectors," bomb 'em back to the stone age. But make sure that Turkey is involved with the reconstruction. The next "expert" who tells me that Islam and Government can never be separated is gonna get a map of the Balkans shoved up his hidey-hole.
(2) Stop acting like we have to "take international pressure" into account. I don't give a rats ass if a bunch of tree hugging French hippies don't like that we're putting hoods on suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay. You try being the world's only remaining superpower and see how you deal with it. The only way to deal with many of these people is force. They have no concept of negotiation, or peace. It must be forced on them. Dictatorial Theocracies or "People's Republics" do not a "culture" make, and they do not deserve to exist. To quote a recent episode of The West Wing, "They'll like us when we win."
(3) Stop making every military action an "international" effort. Our guys in Mogadishu got shot up because those UN peacekeeping bastards wouldn't get off their asses to save OUR guys. Unless a country can keep up with OUR standards of training, discipline and technological prowess, get off the damn court and let the big boys play. The chain of command begins and ends in one place: us.
I think that sums up my feelings on the subject pretty well.