Grand Strategy and Cooperative Security
For all of you out there who might be interested, I'm posting the paper I just wrote for my National Security Decision Making Class. It's not the best paper in the world, and remember it was closed book with 36 hours to complete:
Grand Strategy for the Next Administration
Security Environment
Security Environment
The international security environment during the next Administration will be very similar to what it is now. The gap will remain isolated from the industrialized/globalized world, and will continue to struggle to make its presence known. This has the potential of leading to further destabilization, especially around the Pacific Rim, the Middle East and some parts of Latin America. This destabilization will manifest itself in increased terrorist activities and increased anti-American sentiment/protests. The gap will continue to draw further away from the globalized world, and disparaged young men who see no viable future for themselves will find their viable future as martyrs against America. Iraq will continue to be a hotbed for several years until a stabilized infrastructure is in place. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict will continue to brew, and will continue to give Islamic fundamentalists a direction to point their fingers of blame.
Grand Strategy
Current U.S. policy is a policy of unilateralism and primacy. This policy has cost us prestige throughout the world and has led to overt hostility against the United States. It has stretched our military nearly to the breaking point trying to meet all obligations that are being heaped upon them. This policy is not a viable policy that can be maintained for any extended length of time. It will either overextend the military to a point that it breaks and we lose momentum, or it will cost us so much money and so much prestige that we will be unable to afford to continue the policy and we will have garnered so much ill will in the world they will block future efforts. That being said, we cannot ignore our role in world affairs. We are currently the world hegemon and we need to provide the leadership that a hegemon is expected to provide. However, this doesn’t have to be accomplished through our military might alone. Instead, we need to dust off our volumes of international law and cooperation among states and resurrect a strategy of cooperative security. The key to American security is security in the rest of the world—the globalized world has to export security to the gap and begin building their infrastructure and bringing them into the global economy. The U. S. doesn’t have the wherewithal to provide that to everyone. Therefore we need to work together with the rest of the world to come to a consensus on how to approach different situations, injecting our opinions—forcefully where necessary, but always maintaining global consensus vice unilateralism—to provide the leadership and direction the world needs. This new policy of cooperative security will manifest itself in the foreseeable future by dealing with several areas:
1) Increase interaction with the United Nations and the international community to work towards common agreements and consensus on international security issues,
2) Encourage the European Union to create a standing security/reactionary force,
3) Intensify efforts to create a stable solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict,
4) Bolster the Russian government to help stabilize the country and prevent the spread of nuclear materials, and
5) Increase international presence in Iraq to increase training to Iraqi law enforcement and military personnel.
Current U.S. policy is a policy of unilateralism and primacy. This policy has cost us prestige throughout the world and has led to overt hostility against the United States. It has stretched our military nearly to the breaking point trying to meet all obligations that are being heaped upon them. This policy is not a viable policy that can be maintained for any extended length of time. It will either overextend the military to a point that it breaks and we lose momentum, or it will cost us so much money and so much prestige that we will be unable to afford to continue the policy and we will have garnered so much ill will in the world they will block future efforts. That being said, we cannot ignore our role in world affairs. We are currently the world hegemon and we need to provide the leadership that a hegemon is expected to provide. However, this doesn’t have to be accomplished through our military might alone. Instead, we need to dust off our volumes of international law and cooperation among states and resurrect a strategy of cooperative security. The key to American security is security in the rest of the world—the globalized world has to export security to the gap and begin building their infrastructure and bringing them into the global economy. The U. S. doesn’t have the wherewithal to provide that to everyone. Therefore we need to work together with the rest of the world to come to a consensus on how to approach different situations, injecting our opinions—forcefully where necessary, but always maintaining global consensus vice unilateralism—to provide the leadership and direction the world needs. This new policy of cooperative security will manifest itself in the foreseeable future by dealing with several areas:
1) Increase interaction with the United Nations and the international community to work towards common agreements and consensus on international security issues,
2) Encourage the European Union to create a standing security/reactionary force,
3) Intensify efforts to create a stable solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict,
4) Bolster the Russian government to help stabilize the country and prevent the spread of nuclear materials, and
5) Increase international presence in Iraq to increase training to Iraqi law enforcement and military personnel.
1) Increased Global Interaction
The only true way for the United States to execute a strategy of cooperative security is to begin healing the rifts with the rest of the world and the United Nations. By healing these rifts and working towards common agreements and consensus on international security issues, the United States can leverage its political power to bring the rest of the globalized world into the business of exporting security to the gap. This will free up our military and allow us to focus on the big picture of the GWOT, while still providing responses to regional crises. This has the further benefit of restoring our prestige in the world and reinforcing the need adhering to international law.
The only true way for the United States to execute a strategy of cooperative security is to begin healing the rifts with the rest of the world and the United Nations. By healing these rifts and working towards common agreements and consensus on international security issues, the United States can leverage its political power to bring the rest of the globalized world into the business of exporting security to the gap. This will free up our military and allow us to focus on the big picture of the GWOT, while still providing responses to regional crises. This has the further benefit of restoring our prestige in the world and reinforcing the need adhering to international law.
2) European Security Force
Current policy has the United States overextended on many fronts. As I said before, the key to American security is security in the rest of the world. Unfortunately we can’t afford to provide that security alone. We need to encourage Europe to create a standing security/reactionary force that can provide rapid response to not only crises within Europe, but also give them the ability to export security as a near -peer competitor to the United States. As stated above, other globalized countries exporting security minimizes the amount we have to export.
Current policy has the United States overextended on many fronts. As I said before, the key to American security is security in the rest of the world. Unfortunately we can’t afford to provide that security alone. We need to encourage Europe to create a standing security/reactionary force that can provide rapid response to not only crises within Europe, but also give them the ability to export security as a near -peer competitor to the United States. As stated above, other globalized countries exporting security minimizes the amount we have to export.
3) Stable Solution in Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict has been a breeding ground for terrorism and anti-American sentiment for decades. We will not be able to solve this in the short term, but in the long term, we can intensify our efforts at creating a stable solution to the conflict. First, we need to cut part of our funding/aid to Israel as a good-will gesture to the Palestinians. The Palestinians don’t see Israel as fighting them; they see Jews flying American planes shooting American ammunition. We have to minimize our impact in this conflict and help force it to resolution, even if it means reducing our support for Israel. Once we create a stable solution, the process of globalization can begin. It will also remove one of the items terrorists always point their fingers to. I’m not saying that it will stop terrorism and increase our security, but it will eliminate the red herring used by the terrorists.
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict has been a breeding ground for terrorism and anti-American sentiment for decades. We will not be able to solve this in the short term, but in the long term, we can intensify our efforts at creating a stable solution to the conflict. First, we need to cut part of our funding/aid to Israel as a good-will gesture to the Palestinians. The Palestinians don’t see Israel as fighting them; they see Jews flying American planes shooting American ammunition. We have to minimize our impact in this conflict and help force it to resolution, even if it means reducing our support for Israel. Once we create a stable solution, the process of globalization can begin. It will also remove one of the items terrorists always point their fingers to. I’m not saying that it will stop terrorism and increase our security, but it will eliminate the red herring used by the terrorists.
4) Bolstering the Russian Government
Russia is a prime candidate for implosion at this point. If Russia were to implode, nuclear material would be openly available for anyone with a pickup truck (and a radiation death-wish) to get their hands on. Russia’s government must be stabilized. We don’t necessarily have to democratize Russia, at least with American democracy, but we have to stabilize their government and facilitate the rebuilding of infrastructure and institutions that can provide a viable framework for the democratization process to begin. This will keep nuclear material out of the hands of terrorists, and provide us another ally in our fight against terrorism—and, once stabilized, a potential exporter of security to the gap.
Russia is a prime candidate for implosion at this point. If Russia were to implode, nuclear material would be openly available for anyone with a pickup truck (and a radiation death-wish) to get their hands on. Russia’s government must be stabilized. We don’t necessarily have to democratize Russia, at least with American democracy, but we have to stabilize their government and facilitate the rebuilding of infrastructure and institutions that can provide a viable framework for the democratization process to begin. This will keep nuclear material out of the hands of terrorists, and provide us another ally in our fight against terrorism—and, once stabilized, a potential exporter of security to the gap.
5) Increase International presence in Iraq
Our unilateral action in Iraq has proven to be one of our weakest moments. We are slowly putting the infrastructure in place that is necessary to begin a process of democratization. There is no turning back now, we have to win this. The most effective way to ensure that we can win this is to bring in the rest of the world. We need to start by apologizing to the world for our cavalier actions and let them know we made a mistake. Utilizing the good will build up from increased interaction and consensus in the international community, we need to encourage the EU to assist in providing training to Iraqi forces, both military and law enforcement. These forces are the critical infrastructure that is going to facilitate building the rest of the infrastructure—water, sewage, roads, communications, institutions, etc. Help from the international community, especially EU, would legitimize our efforts in the rest of the world, and could help rebuild and stabilize Iraq years ahead of schedule.
Our unilateral action in Iraq has proven to be one of our weakest moments. We are slowly putting the infrastructure in place that is necessary to begin a process of democratization. There is no turning back now, we have to win this. The most effective way to ensure that we can win this is to bring in the rest of the world. We need to start by apologizing to the world for our cavalier actions and let them know we made a mistake. Utilizing the good will build up from increased interaction and consensus in the international community, we need to encourage the EU to assist in providing training to Iraqi forces, both military and law enforcement. These forces are the critical infrastructure that is going to facilitate building the rest of the infrastructure—water, sewage, roads, communications, institutions, etc. Help from the international community, especially EU, would legitimize our efforts in the rest of the world, and could help rebuild and stabilize Iraq years ahead of schedule.
Final Reminder
Throughout this whole process, we have to remember that we cannot look at the world as though they are putty to be pressed into a mold of the United States. Cultures and religions are different throughout the world, just as people are. Democratization of the rest of the world in the likeness of the United States is a pipe dream. Most gap countries are not ready to be democracies, and even when they are ready, a one size fits all American style democracy would disparage the cultures of the rest of the world. Even within the globalized world, European democracy does not resemble American democracy. European democracy sprang forth differently than American democracy because it developed from the European people and their culture. Once the gap is ready for democratization, we have to let them decide for themselves how they are going to institute it. Our job, along with the rest of the globalized world, is to export security to the gap so the can establish the infrastructure and the regulated free market economies that are needed to prepare for democratization. Building this infrastructure will increase the security within the gap. To beat the point again, the key to American security is security in the rest of the world. If the gap is more secure, so is America.
Throughout this whole process, we have to remember that we cannot look at the world as though they are putty to be pressed into a mold of the United States. Cultures and religions are different throughout the world, just as people are. Democratization of the rest of the world in the likeness of the United States is a pipe dream. Most gap countries are not ready to be democracies, and even when they are ready, a one size fits all American style democracy would disparage the cultures of the rest of the world. Even within the globalized world, European democracy does not resemble American democracy. European democracy sprang forth differently than American democracy because it developed from the European people and their culture. Once the gap is ready for democratization, we have to let them decide for themselves how they are going to institute it. Our job, along with the rest of the globalized world, is to export security to the gap so the can establish the infrastructure and the regulated free market economies that are needed to prepare for democratization. Building this infrastructure will increase the security within the gap. To beat the point again, the key to American security is security in the rest of the world. If the gap is more secure, so is America.
Conclusion
The international security situation in the foreseeable future will essentially be much of the same. The gap will remain outside of the mainstream and continue to cause problems for the globalized world. Our security posture must work to bring the gap into the globalized world by exporting security to the gap. Unfortunately, we are unable to go this alone. To do so, we need to bolster our ties with the rest of the world and regain our lost prestige. Europe needs to be convinced to establish its own security force to handle European problems, and to provide another force to export security. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is pointed to by the gap as a major source of contention, therefore it needs to be mitigated, or eliminated if possible. And finally the war in Iraq needs to be drawn to a close by bringing in international forces to help build the law enforcement and military infrastructure so the rest of the infrastructure can be built. The globalized world must work together to globalize the gap. Once the gap is globalized and their security increased, security in the rest of the world will increase with it.
The international security situation in the foreseeable future will essentially be much of the same. The gap will remain outside of the mainstream and continue to cause problems for the globalized world. Our security posture must work to bring the gap into the globalized world by exporting security to the gap. Unfortunately, we are unable to go this alone. To do so, we need to bolster our ties with the rest of the world and regain our lost prestige. Europe needs to be convinced to establish its own security force to handle European problems, and to provide another force to export security. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is pointed to by the gap as a major source of contention, therefore it needs to be mitigated, or eliminated if possible. And finally the war in Iraq needs to be drawn to a close by bringing in international forces to help build the law enforcement and military infrastructure so the rest of the infrastructure can be built. The globalized world must work together to globalize the gap. Once the gap is globalized and their security increased, security in the rest of the world will increase with it.
It looks better on paper than it does in the blog, but I'm sure you get the gist of everything. Hope you enjoyed your reading and weren't too bored with it ;)
posted by Scott at 10/14/2004 10:04:00 PM
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