Exerting excessive pressure on a person or a nation never brings any benefit. To maximize interests, the best approach is to apply just the right amount of pressure and provide a bit of temptation. The combination of carrot and stick is always the most effective way to achieve goals.
The principle is quite simple, yet what constitutes "just the right amount of pressure" and what kind of temptation is sufficient remain questions worthy of contemplation.
Essentially, everyone has a price for which they can be bought, rooted deep within their hearts, as long as you're willing to pay the price. If you can't buy someone, it's either because their price is too high or your resources are insufficient. In such cases, pressure... or rather, more direct methods—violence—is needed to solve the problem.
