  Motivations for the center vortex theory of confinement are discussed. In
particular, it is noted that the abelian dual Meissner effect, which is the
signature of dual superconductivity, cannot adequately describe the confining
force at large distance scales. A long-range effective action is derived from
strong-coupling lattice gauge theory in D=3 dimensions, and it is shown that
center vortices emerge as the stable saddlepoints of this action. Thus, in the
case of strong couplings, the vortex picture is arrived at analytically. I also
respond briefly to a recent criticism regarding maximal center gauge.
