Globalization and U.S. National Security

Globalization and Geopolitics

The Cold War which was a period of strong change starting in 1945 led America into a geopolitical mindset for the first time in American history. This period made national security and military affairs the center of focus for America. According to Snow "The Cold War presented the United States an apparently permanent military enemy for the first time since the rivalry with Great Britain was resolved after the war of 1812." (Snow, page 83) This gave way to the idea of national security being a strong focal point of the American agenda. It made it equally as important as anything else did on the agenda. Also the United States was now a state of mobilization. The armed forces would now and always be at a striking force. All of the changes were something new to the people of America but it was an idea that was not only accepted it was expected. The same rings true with 9/11 in relation to the role of America. Our sole focus is national security and put our military at a point of being called upon any second. The United States has embraced the idea that things have changed and are willing to do whatever possible to prevent future events of this magnitude. Another characteristic that the Cold War Period and 9/11 hold in common is that both "were a pervasive political and military competition that dominated international politics." (Snow, page 97) The major threat is different with the 9/11 acts. Not only is their strong and realized fear of asymmetrical acts of war. The U.S. is now a much more vulnerable nation than in the past. The U.S. does not only have to worry about physical threats; there is now the fear of psychological threats. The United States now has to take serious the threat of terrorist attacks for the first time in history; it's no longer a fear but a definite possibility.

The United States incorporated many different strategies since the attacks of September 11. The main and most talked about is the creation of the Department of Homeland Security which was mandated to perform four functions: "border and transportation security; emergency preparedness and response; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear countermeasures; and information analysis and infrastructure protection." (Snow, page 203) This has helped to process all information pertaining to or relating to terrorism. Also President Bush has dramatically increased the amount of federal spending in the military and defense budget, allowing the armed forces to actually receive seemingly all of their "wish list." These responses are good and bad to the events of 9/11. A focus should not just be on expanding our military, but moreover on the concept of how to combat asymmetrical warfare. My belief from what the text says and the contributors believe is that war is now a new kind and form. The United States is no longer the force it once was. They need to find ways to become as powerful in the form of war as they are in traditional warfare. The United States needs to change its approach in the foreign policy arena; they need to steer away from the unilateralist approach they continue to have. This problem is an international one and America needs everyone on there side. The U.S. has done significant steps to respond to the onset of terrorism, but is America doing enough? There is no real way of knowing because terrorism is an ideal not a state against a state. Globalization seemed as though it would be an out in training the nations to become productive states that once fueled the breeding grounds for terrorism.

Globalization and geopolitics have a very distinct relation. The reason terrorism ultimately exist is because of the states that are not a part of the international globalizing economy. They are not a part of the prosperity and view the ones that are and the one responsible, the United States' as a threat to there existence. More steps need to be taken to include everyone