Unlock document.
This document is partially blurred.
Unlock all pages and 1 million more documents.
Get Access
1
CHAPTER 9
THE GLOBAL SECURITY STRUCTURE
Overview
Robert Kaplan’s words in the epigraph to the chapter capture the feelings of many realists and
neorealists who are perplexed by policies of U.S. president Donald Trump that appear to be
designed to tear down the world order established by the United States and its allies after
Many experts are also disconcerted by Trump’s admiration for nationalist populist leaders
who have weakened democratic institutions. He has started trade wars while giving little
attention to human rights or the consequences of his actions. He admits to only thinking about
In this chapter we discuss classical realism and neorealism, putting them into perspective with
mercantilism, neoliberalism, structuralism, and constructivism. We provide historical
overviews of the global security structures that correspond to the three phases of the postwar
We then explore chronologically some recent security dilemmas that the major powers have
dealt with such as the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Traditional security issues such
In the conclusion we suggest that it is important to note the connections throughout the book
between global security issues and non-military issues such as poverty, hunger, health,
migration, and the environment. We argue that without a cooperative arrangement among the
major states, peace and security will be difficult to achieve.
2
Key Terms
•
global security structure (GSS)
•
classical realism
•
Cuban Missile Crisis
•
mutually assured destruction (MAD)
•
détente
•
weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
Teaching Tips
• Use an introduction such as the one above to generate some interest in the topic. Use small
groups to answer some questions and generate student ideas that can be put up on the
board.
• Cover this topic in at least 2 or more class sessions. Most students don’t have much
background in the subject, and there is a lot to take in and explore.
• Discuss the increasing role of drones and cyberweapons and how technology is playing a
bigger role in security issues. Some believe that cyberweapons could render nuclear
weapons useless and might be able to completely overwhelm the weapons systems of other
states. Do cyberweapons ramp up the threats states feel when they are perpetually
vulnerable? Could cyberweapons lead to nuclear war and/or military conflict?
3
• Focus on how the security policies and outlooks of the Obama and Trump administrations
differ. This is also a place to peak student interest and reference Trump administration
policies toward Europe, China, and Russia.
1. These issues would make good class discussion topics. They could also be topics for a
formal essay that requires students to use IPE tools in their analysis.
a. The Cold War. Is another one shaping up? Between which powers?
b. Nuclear strategy. How does it shape the U.S.-North Korea standoff?
c. The GSS. Where is it headed and why?
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Which of these associations is incorrect?
a) Realism: Henry Kissinger
2) Which of the following about the Cuban Missile Crisis is incorrect?
a) The Soviets placed medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba.
4
3) Which of the following statements about Henry Kissinger is wrong?
a) He has always championed bipolarity over mulipolarity.*
4) This peanut farmer became president of the United States and supported more idealism
and human rights when it came to international security policies.
5) Which of the following is not associated with President Reagan?
a) Labeling the USSR the “evil empire”
6) The George W. Bush administration’s desire for U.S. hegemony was reflected chiefly in:
a) Its promotion of economic liberal trade policies
7) According to Chalmers Johnson, the source of U.S. imperial behavior is
a) President Obama’s roots in Africa
8) Which of the following is not something the Obama administration adopted to deal with
Middle East conflicts?
a) It did not prosecute CIA employees who had waterboarded terrorist suspects.
5
9) Which of the following about drones is untrue?
a) They save the lives of many military personnel.
10) Stuxnet is a
a) WMD.
11) This group, which used to be al-Qaeda in Iraq, split from the Nusra Front and eventually
seized a wide swath of territory in Iraq, including the city of Mosul, where it declared a
caliphate.
12) Which of the following measures did the Trump administration not adopt in response to
North Korea’s buildup and testing of long range ICBMs?
a) Threatening to respond to a North Korean attack on the United States with “fire and
fury like the world has never seen”
13) Who labeled Trump a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard”?
14) According to many realists, which of the following is not one of Russia’s strategies to
enhance national power, preserve sovereignty, and balance against the United States?
a) defying one of the key norms of the liberal world order by acquiring territory by force
6
15) When it comes to cyber security issues, which of the following statements is not true?
a) The world increasingly relies on information technology to manage national security
and public infrastructure, which makes nations vulnerable to crippling cyberattacks
that could spark a war, requiring them to establish norms and rules to reduce cyber
conflict and guide conduct when attacks occur.
Suggested Readings and Links
Dower, John. The Violent American Century: War and Terror since World War II. Chicago,
IL: Haymarket Books, 2017.
Morgenthau, Hans. Politics Among Nations: The Search for Power and Peace. 3rd ed. New York:
Knopf, 1960.
Nacos, Brigitte. Terrorism and Counterterrorism. 5th ed. New York: Routledge, 2016.
7
Audiovisual Resources
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Stanley Kubrick,
dir. Hawk Films, 1964. A classic.
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. Errol Morris, dir.
Love, Hate & Propaganda: The Cold War. Narrated by George Stroumboulopoulos.
Netwars/Out of CTRL. Marcel Kovenbach, dir. Filmtank, in co-production with ZDF/ARTE,
2014. “The new arms race is online. From secret labs in Israel and China to the NSA and
North Korea's Nuclear Trump Card. Narrated by Jane Corbin. BBC Panorama, 2017.
Obama at War. A FRONTLINE production with RAINmedia, 2015. At
Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade. Johan Grimonprez, dir. Shadow World
Productions, 2016. Based on the book of the same name by Andrew Feinstein. “The film
Thirteen Days. Roger Donaldson, dir. Beacon Pictures, 2000. A Hollywood feature film
dramatizing the Cuban Missile Crisis. Stars Kevin Costner.
