International and Global Security
John Baylis
Chapter 13
Table of Contents
Introduction
- Students of international politics deal with profound questions, particularly whether international security is achievable in the current world.
- A central debate has focused on the causes of war, with differing views on whether they are unique to each case or can be generalized.
- Some analysts attribute the causes of war to human nature, others to the internal organization of states, and some to international anarchy.
- Kenneth Waltz outlines three ‘images’ of war: man, the state, and the international system, to explain the origins of conflict (Waltz 1954).
- Waltz emphasizes international anarchy as a key factor: “wars occur because there is nothing to stop them from occurring,” while also recognizing the importance of all three images for comprehensive understanding.
- Waltz argues that world politics cannot be fully understood without considering all three images (man, state, and international system).
- A significant divide exists between Realist and Idealist thinkers on whether conflict can be transcended or mitigated.
- Idealism gained support after World War I, particularly with the hope for greater international order through the League of Nations.
- After World War II and during the Cold War, Realism became dominant, viewing war and violence as perpetual features of inter-state relations.
- With the end of the Cold War, some saw it as a turning point toward a new paradigm, where inter-state violence would fade, and cosmopolitan values would foster greater cooperation.
- However, others believed that Realism remained the best approach, seeing the end of the Cold War as offering only temporary peace, as evidenced by conflicts like the Gulf War (1990-91) and the 9/11 attacks.
- These events demonstrated that both states and non-state actors (including terrorist groups) continued to use force to achieve their objectives.
- The chapter focuses on the debate between optimistic and pessimistic schools of thought on international security.
- The chapter will first define security and explore the relationship between national security and international security.
- It will then review traditional ideas of national security and their impact on contemporary thinking.
What is meant by the concept of security?
- Security is a contested concept, with consensus that it implies freedom from threats to core values, but disagreement over whether the focus should be on individual, national, or international security.
- During much of the Cold War, the concept of national security dominated, largely defined in militarized terms, focusing on military capabilities to counter threats.
- More recently, the concept of security has been criticized for being ethnocentric and too narrowly defined.
- Contemporary writers have argued for an expanded conception of security, including political, economic, societal, environmental, and military aspects, defined in broader international terms.
- Barry Buzan (1983) advocated for a view of security that includes multiple dimensions (political, economic, societal, environmental) and questions whether national and international security can be compatible.
- The tension between national and international security is not universally accepted, with some writers arguing that focus on the state and inter-state relations overlooks fundamental changes in world politics post-Cold War.
- Some argue that the integration of regions like Europe and the fragmentation of states (e.g., Soviet Union, Yugoslavia) create new problems regarding boundaries, minorities, and ideologies, leading to regional instability.
- These changes suggest that ethno-national groups, rather than states, should become the focus of security analysts.
- Others argue that societal security and the emphasis on the state are less relevant due to the emergence of a global society post-Cold War.
- They point to globalization as a significant trend, which brings new risks and threats such as international terrorism, global monetary system breakdown, global warming, and nuclear accidents, which are largely beyond the control of nation-states.
- Some writers stress the transformation of the state, rather than its demise, and the new security agenda in the early 21st century.
- After the events of 9/11, polarization (vertical and horizontal) and violence became more globalized and fragmented, with sub-state conflicts being globally networked and financed, and states becoming just one actor among many.
- Jonathan Friedman (2003) argued that we are living in a world where violence has become less about wars between states and more about sub-state conflicts, with states increasingly privatized.
- The post-9/11 era is viewed by many as a new and dangerous period in world history, raising questions about whether the world today is truly different from the past.
- To assess this, it is necessary to begin by considering how security has traditionally been conceived.