A Little Spurious History:
According to the Russian opinion, the original concept of Global Security belongs to… Mikhail Gorbachev. Gone into oblivion with the collapse of the Soviet Union, it has allegedly been resurrected in its new, improved version by Vladimir Putin, who has also introduced the term Global Energy Security, a tribute to Russia’s smart policy of virtually cornering the energy market.
…They say that world history is always written by the winners. Mr. Putin certainly feels like a winner these days: no matter what happens on this planet seems to work to Russia’s advantage. If you do not believe me, “follow the money!” …But the Russian approach to Global Security is necessarily disingenuous. It is being shaped by Russia’s perception of her national interest, which is currently focused not so much on finding an equitable solution to the world’s problems, as on weakening the arrogant power of the United States. (Come to think of it, who can blame Russia for trying to take advantage of the recent world events? The temptation must be too great, given the historically unprecedented opportunity!) It seems as if in the eyes of practically the whole world, Global Security today has come to mean curtailing the American dominance and making a better deal on oil and gas with the Russians.
Meanwhile, the term “Terrorism,” quite ambiguous in itself, is becoming an almost pointless, yet extremely dangerous phrase, an international symbol of resistance to authority, an anarchist’s bonanza, providing an enormous clout to all sorts of local and homegrown movements, gaining them ever more glory-seeking recruits, through an unprecedented and undeserved world-wide fascination with terror (reminding me of Robert Downey Jr.’s obsession in the Oliver Stone movie Natural-Born Killers), and all the resulting publicity.
Preoccupied with inchoate terror, and a lingering suspicion that the United States is taking advantage of the general frenzy, the world community has again and again been proving its inability to handle specific crises. The most apparent threat to global security today is not some kind of SPECTRE-like conspiracy against the world order, even though it often surely feels that way, but a glaring incompetence of the powers in charge. Is it possible that this incompetence is deliberate?
A Little Factual History:
Incidentally, the idea of Global Security does not originate with Gorbachev, except that he was attempting, in those closing days of an era, to give it a pro-Soviet tilt. In 1983, two years before he would take power in Moscow, I was elected Fellow of a little-known Californian think tank, headed by Richard Smoke, called Peace And Common Security Institute, or PACS. As I then discussed the meaning of “Common Security” with Richard, the idea was to boost International Security primarily through meaningful cooperation with the Russians, both bilaterally, and within the format of existing International Organizations, and of newly created public forums.
I am making this personal comment not to suggest that this whole idea of “Global Security” was born in Berkeley, California, or in Richard Smoke’s head, but only to indicate that the concept itself is a natural one. There are more roads than one to approach it, and, considering the abysmal failure, so far, to reach a tangible practical result (epitomized by the stunning universal paralysis in the face of unstoppable nuclear proliferation, the suddenly exponential escalation of the nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia (sic!!!), the horrific carnage in the Middle East, etc.), there surely must be some really defective thinking, going on out there.
We are desperate for a creative brainstorm, not just another theory; a flash of intuition, rather than a labor of belabored scholarship. Perhaps we need some serious citizen initiative? Only our citizens ought to be much-much better informed…
My Angle:
…Talking about “citizen initiative,” I have often been asked what exactly is my agenda. I guess it is to be a good citizen myself and to help other citizens become better informed… ¿Simplë? -- ¡No!
…To be continued…
According to the Russian opinion, the original concept of Global Security belongs to… Mikhail Gorbachev. Gone into oblivion with the collapse of the Soviet Union, it has allegedly been resurrected in its new, improved version by Vladimir Putin, who has also introduced the term Global Energy Security, a tribute to Russia’s smart policy of virtually cornering the energy market.
…They say that world history is always written by the winners. Mr. Putin certainly feels like a winner these days: no matter what happens on this planet seems to work to Russia’s advantage. If you do not believe me, “follow the money!” …But the Russian approach to Global Security is necessarily disingenuous. It is being shaped by Russia’s perception of her national interest, which is currently focused not so much on finding an equitable solution to the world’s problems, as on weakening the arrogant power of the United States. (Come to think of it, who can blame Russia for trying to take advantage of the recent world events? The temptation must be too great, given the historically unprecedented opportunity!) It seems as if in the eyes of practically the whole world, Global Security today has come to mean curtailing the American dominance and making a better deal on oil and gas with the Russians.
Meanwhile, the term “Terrorism,” quite ambiguous in itself, is becoming an almost pointless, yet extremely dangerous phrase, an international symbol of resistance to authority, an anarchist’s bonanza, providing an enormous clout to all sorts of local and homegrown movements, gaining them ever more glory-seeking recruits, through an unprecedented and undeserved world-wide fascination with terror (reminding me of Robert Downey Jr.’s obsession in the Oliver Stone movie Natural-Born Killers), and all the resulting publicity.
Preoccupied with inchoate terror, and a lingering suspicion that the United States is taking advantage of the general frenzy, the world community has again and again been proving its inability to handle specific crises. The most apparent threat to global security today is not some kind of SPECTRE-like conspiracy against the world order, even though it often surely feels that way, but a glaring incompetence of the powers in charge. Is it possible that this incompetence is deliberate?
A Little Factual History:
Incidentally, the idea of Global Security does not originate with Gorbachev, except that he was attempting, in those closing days of an era, to give it a pro-Soviet tilt. In 1983, two years before he would take power in Moscow, I was elected Fellow of a little-known Californian think tank, headed by Richard Smoke, called Peace And Common Security Institute, or PACS. As I then discussed the meaning of “Common Security” with Richard, the idea was to boost International Security primarily through meaningful cooperation with the Russians, both bilaterally, and within the format of existing International Organizations, and of newly created public forums.
I am making this personal comment not to suggest that this whole idea of “Global Security” was born in Berkeley, California, or in Richard Smoke’s head, but only to indicate that the concept itself is a natural one. There are more roads than one to approach it, and, considering the abysmal failure, so far, to reach a tangible practical result (epitomized by the stunning universal paralysis in the face of unstoppable nuclear proliferation, the suddenly exponential escalation of the nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia (sic!!!), the horrific carnage in the Middle East, etc.), there surely must be some really defective thinking, going on out there.
We are desperate for a creative brainstorm, not just another theory; a flash of intuition, rather than a labor of belabored scholarship. Perhaps we need some serious citizen initiative? Only our citizens ought to be much-much better informed…
My Angle:
…Talking about “citizen initiative,” I have often been asked what exactly is my agenda. I guess it is to be a good citizen myself and to help other citizens become better informed… ¿Simplë? -- ¡No!
…To be continued…
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