Globalization and National Security

Jon Nakapalau, CPO, CHSO

Retrograde Orbit• For much of the last 70 years there have been two economic models that

have been touted as examples for the rest of the world to follow: capitalism and communism

• Many countries in the world have been drawn into the gravitational pull of one or the other of these doctrines and have sought to find a way to make the concepts and principles work within a cultural framework that addresses the specific needs of their national identity

• Globalization has ended the “moon” status of countries caught in the orbit of capitalism or communism

Ideological Casualties• In the past actions and actors in conflict were held to a temporal

parameter, a region was in conflict but the rest of the world felt the ripple effect of the situation in relation to the distance of the event from its epicenter

• This situation has changed; we are now so connected that any event which happens can have consequences which must be dealt with as soon as we receive the information

• Relative to the degree of security “idealized” there is more often than not a relationship that has implicit structural components which must be addressed if there is going to be any sort of understanding of differing opinions

Message and Perception

As the globalization process continues to redefine cultural conceptualizations of race, ethnicity and politics there is emerging a philosophical gap between countries that leads to:

• Failure to address issues dealing with the tragedy of the commons in the poorest countries

• Failure to understand that economic stability is often undemocratically achieved

• Failure to proactively address issues that affect the quality of life for the poor

Mitigational Policy• Belligerency and insurgency are often the end result of negotiations that

brake down at critical periods when (in retrospect) there was still the possibility that some sort of negotiation could have been possible

• Often a simple plan of coordinated support coming before a crisis cascades past the point of stabilization could address the compounding of many problems while bringing into the equation additional factors of control

• The view the world has about economic development is often ideated via the popular culture which is exported throughout the world. This is often coupled with a vision of democracy that is not only linked but is in fact what much of the world considers to be the core of what makes America American; a kind of self referential perspective that shapes how the rest of the world looks at us

New Rules, Old Game• The use and access to technology has become one of the determining

questions that is now central to global security

• Collaboration and global leadership seem to be the points which must in the future determine collectively fair and equitable allocation of resources

• As countries align with other groups there are several questions that seem to be central as to what type of relationship will be formed and with whom: influence and identity

• As the global situation shifts from war between states to regional conflicts that are often fought by groups that have no affiliation with the state in which they fight it will become even more important to face such issues as allies who do believe in certain philosophical perspectives

Ideological “Accelerants”Western powers will find that the structure of democracy will be challenged by the following:

• Terrorism, narco-terrorism, fundamentalist/nationalist movements

• Regional conflicts which impact access to natural resources

• Alliances with groups hostile to the US and Europe (non-state actors)

• Displacement of populations as a result of war and genocide

Combat Economy“This involves the production, mobilization, and allocation of economic resources to sustain war making.”

(Goodhand, p.202)

• Combat economies will turn the fragmented distribution networks into the underlying economic/social foundation of the region

• Commodity chains are conditioned by produced goods reaching markets and are based on the nature of what is being produced and the markets where it is consumed. When controlled as a combat economy the money is used to destabilize the state (i.e. Colombia and cocaine production)

Goodhand, Jonathan: Frontiers and Wars: the Opium Economy in Afghanistan, Journal of Agrarian Change, Vol. 5 No. 2, April 2005 pp. 191-216

Asymmetric Information • We now see that the “home” and “away” game of national security will be

fought on multiple fronts

• On every ideological front a “forward operating base” (FOB) must be established and staffed by law enforcement, military and private sector professionals

• Governments and organizations hostile to democracy have already establish ideological FOB’s which seek to create tension between countries

• This type of polarization leads to mistrust and adds incrementally to the type of controversies that we see all over the world today. In order to negotiate fairly the parties involved must look past all small controversies that are used as excuses to not negotiate at all.

The End