Just Finished Reading: International Security – A Very Short Introduction by Christopher S Browning (FP: 2013)

With quite a lot of ground to cover (as you might imagine) in 117 pages this was a very short but compact introduction to a complex and important subject. International Security has never been more central to the daily business of so many government across the globe and of never more vital interest to every one of us – to the comparatively trivial aspect of helping determining where we go on holiday to understanding who our allies are, who our enemies are and why we go to war.

Many consider Security to be the primary value in a troubled world. Without an adequate level of security on the world stage other values become much more difficult to obtain or maintain. But what kind of security are we talking about? Traditionalists see it from the point of view of the (Nation) State – seeing things that affect the security of the State and security issues between States. Meanwhile Critical Theorists see security from the point of view of the individual or group where issues of food security, security of life, property and ways of life are important. Inevitably these viewpoints clash where the secure state rests on the insecurities of minorities within its borders, for example. National security also presents a paradoxical dilemma. In order to be secure a State may build up its military resources in order to defend itself against all potential attackers. It may indeed loudly state that it’s growing military might is purely for defensive purposes only. Meanwhile near-by States become more and more concerned about the growing disparities in the military spending and power so increase their defence budgets. Concerned that this might lead to future attacks the growing power increases its military budget still higher. No longer able to compete with the now global military power the smaller States make mutually binding defence pacts in an act of collective self-defence. Seeing this as an unacceptable threat the global superpower attacks the smaller States before they can overwhelm it and start a world war that results in its destruction along with those of its enemies. Increased strength and security lead to disaster and the ultimate insecurity. The question is: How Secure is Secure enough? Does the existence of Nuclear Weapons inevitably lead to more countries acquiring them in a pursuit of a balance of power (or balance of terror). Can any self-respecting country turn its back on nuclear power if their enemies or potential enemies refuse to do so? Are Nuclear States more secure than non-nuclear ones?

In a post-Cold War world can the UN finally begin to operate as it was expected to do so after WW2? Without the Soviets and Americans vetoing each other’s agendas can the UN increase global security? Not having its own military forces (or indeed its own independent budget) this seems unlikely but need this be the case? In a multipolar world what will Security look like? How much of the International Security the world is in need of be provided by Private Contractors who can, and will, tread where the UN or States fear to go? How will Ethnic Conflict continue to destabilise regions especially if Global Warming continues to impact on scarce resources as expected? Will future wars be exclusively resource wars?

Full of interesting insights this is a book that even a casual reader can probably polish off in a weekend or so. Equally divided to security theory and hard examples of both successes and failures this will give any reader much food for thought and a much greater appreciation of the international situation. What is maybe more important, and is to be expected from this series of books, is the decent bibliography in the back. This is, after all, and introduction and such things, especially this well written, need to be followed up. Recommended.