Traditional and non-traditional security in the new era

Credit: https://regiosec.com/traditional-security-threats/

I. Introduction

The world of conflicts between states and states have been out for hundreds of centuries, leaving humankind, infrastructures and civilizations change frequently over time. The war had shifted from using stone and stick to sword and shield to guns and grenades and later tanks and fighters and ballistic missiles and drone. The type of the war has been transformed throughout the civilizations due to the changes of structure and the surrounding environment. The new (alt: recent) inventions and the chronological revolution of the materials that use for civilian purposes somehow have converted into tools that use in the war. During systemic war, animals had been trained by soldiers to attack on targets. For example, dogs had been trained to carry bomb attacks and enemy tanks and military convoy. Generally, every of our daily life objects can be used in the time of war to fight or to protect against something. Moreover, A knife that uses to chop the fruit, vegetable and meat can be used in a war or human-made crime. People who read books, who are smart enough to use the books as protective tool to wear on their body in order to prevent knife assault. In our modern, attacks can be seen from every part of our living dimensions. In today’s era, non-traditional security has emerged as the primary security concerns for states to deal with. Human beings and state survival are now arising from non-military source such as resources scarcity, natural disaster, health security, food, cross-border crime, environmental issues and the rise of non-state actors in the 21th century. The non-traditional security poses significant threats than the traditional security (Saurabh, n.d.).

II. Body

a. The Irrelevant of Traditional Security in our contemporary world

Before the First World War, there were plenty of intra-state wars fighting against ones another to achieve political objectives and to accumulate resources. In order for states to get more wealth, they need to seek for war with their neighboring country to generate resources for their civilizations. In addition, the purpose of the war is an instrument that states use to create war to obtain its national interests over the other states. In this case, this work of writing argues that war does not come by itself, states create war to overcome national security threats or to accomplish certain goals. During, during ancient Greek, Sparta fought against Athens because of regional power competitions between these two states. The war between these two occurred involved naval battle as Sparta sought to influence and control Northern Greece and Asia minor which are the trade routes for Sparta and allies. The trade routes allow the ownership in having resource benefits (Mark, 2018). Presently, the world primarily focuses on economic development and economic cooperation rather than engaging in war to gain resources. The international and regional cooperation among states prompts states to rely on one another for its economic interests and social wellbeing. For example, neoliberalism stated that economic interdependence among and between states is a great tool that could prevent states from going to war with other. In fact, China and Japan had a complex historical background in the past and political tensions in the East China Sea. Both countries have claimed the territory over the disputed islands in Senkaku island. The military confrontation frequently happens when Chinese fighter jets and warship enter Japan’s airspace. But none of them press the trigger on their weapons to start a war. In this example, there has been a military intrusion between China and Japan over the claimant territory, however, trades benefit from each other forbidding them to fight in full-scale conflict because full-scale confrontation will likely to bring self-disastrous and international trades issue between them as both Japan and China are relatively depending on each other. There will be small clashes between Japan’s self-defense forces and the PLA but large-scale war through the use of advanced weapons, missiles, and naval battles are intolerable. Both states will use diplomatic means to address the issue and solve it peacefully without triggering the weapons (Howe, 1990)

In the 21th century, states established international and regional agreements to agree on common goals which is the economic sector. The period of globalization where economic plays a major in today’s world whereas the role of the use of force is becoming less relevant and undesirable. In addition, NGOs, IGOs and small advocate for strangers to create treaties to regulate the use of weapons and rule of engagement. There are numerous of conventions and protocols regarding weapon disarmament such as Chemical Weapon Conventions (CWC), Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) that prohibit states for developing and possessing destructive weapons (Darlyl, 2020). In this regard, I argue that as the role of military is becoming less useful in international politics because of the presence of international weapons conventions that discourage states and ban (them?) from using these weapons as the weapon of choice during the modern battle since it is destructive and disastrous to humankind (alt: humanity). Moreover, these weapons are expected to generate hatreds and unpeaceful (not a word) (alt: conflict, disaster, instability). there will be complex relation and the war will be imminent from one generation to another generation. In short, the war is endless and unstoppable. For example, the intra-states war between Israel and Palestine over the territory control, India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Conflict in these states have been prolonged for many decades, leaving ton of casualties and physical devastation. Another interesting fact is that the creation of the United Nations (UN) that aims to promote peace and collective security. This UN is not legally binding for states. However, it is the solely mechanism that is powerful enough to solve international complex peacefully. In some cases, direction confrontation can be avoided through sanctions and trade embargo. These smart mechanisms are effective in harming state’s economy and society. For example, the sanctions on that halt trades and investments, freeze personal assets. will pressure states to change state’s behavior. For example, the United Nations placed embargo to cripple Iraq’s economy after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Consequently, Iraq suffered economic coercion and economic collapse. However, in some events, smart sanction is not supplicated enough to have impact on major power states and some developing states. Although it is proven ineffectiveness in shutdown state economy, it is the best choice that will prevent a direct war that risk to human lives and the cost of the war (Drezner, 2003). Another point that constrains states from engaging in intra-conflict is domestic institution and international institution or agreement of signatory states will refrain states from going to war. Additionally, in our modern time, states have no interests in war because war is costly on resources, economy and putting people lives in danger. Political objectives and limitations might also refrain states to go to war.

b. Non-traditional security threat

The attacks on US twin tower in New York City has made significant change in the international security. The attacks have demonstrated the powerfulness of non-state actors that have capability to attack the superpower namely the United States soil. The following incident was in Bali that terrorists placed bomb devices to explode the hotel that killed hundreds of westerns. The problem of terrorism considered as the most potent problem among all issues. Terrorist attack, suicide bombing and social intimidation create fear to non-combatants and physical infrastructure to gain publication attentions. Terrorist attacks does not require them to be professionally trained or to have some requirements to do so. In short, terrorists can commit any attacks within any given time they want. The ongoing challenges of weapons of mass destruction is that terrorists might get secretly hand over nuclear or biological or chemical weapon technology to develop and use against civilians and states. Some states are sponsored-states of terrorism network, non-state actors might seek for chemical weapons and biological to attack on the targets since chemical and biological is cheap and labor-less to produce. For example, in 1995, Japanese men launched a sarin attacks on Tokyo subway, killing a few people and leaving hundreds of people hospitalized. In 2007, Iraqi insurgents used bombs with contain chorine to attack innocent people and armed personnel. The world is in fear that terrorists might discover another method of using WMD to attack on civilians. (James J., n.d.). I believe that states policy on tackling down the terrorists might be difficult tasks to do because of 3 main reasons. Firstly, terrorism has its own network connection throughout the globe. For example, Al-Qaeda has a connection with terrorist originations in South East Asia namely Abu Sayyaf. Jemaah Islamiyah, Moro Islamic Liberation Front and ISIS in the Philippines. These groups conducted an extremist campaign to target westerns and to promote Islamic states in home country (Abuza, 2005). Terrorist networks can be just anyway around the world even in the US. Islamic fighters recruit Muslims in the US to conduct organized crime on US soil. For instance, in 2016, a gun attack carried out in the US by a Syrian-US national, who believed to have ties with ISIS (“Orlando Nightclub Shooting,” 2016). Secondly, since everyone has access to technology, it is possible that terrorists may use it to explore new tactics such as cyber-terrorism. Terrorists simply just use computers to conduct malware attacks on personal devices or government sites to expose sensitive information and to inject malware in order to malfunction government’s infrastructures or energy grid. Cyber-terrorism can wreak international global financial system and banking industries to disrupt the flow of e-money and crash international markets (Global Cyber Terrorism Incidents on the Rise, n.d.). Thirdly, terrorists are not negotiable and if they did, it is impossible to have the concession with terrorists. One argument stresses that democratic states would never negotiate with terrorist organizations. Negotiation offers legal rights and legitimacy and strong incentives in leading terrorist attack. In contrast, the discussion weakens government legitimacy and reputation in the international stage, making government become soft.(Neumann, 2007).

Food insecurity, human trafficking, drug dealing and transnational crime remain the largest threats to social security and international social security that need to solve. These problems are hardly to entirely eliminated but it can be reduced the amount of incident to small percentages. In particular, drug trafficking is a cross-boundaries issue that states across the global share the same problem. Especially, developing states are heavily affected whereas developed states such as the US and Canada, they have coast guard and homeland security to apprehend against drug dealers. Drug smuggling is relatively linked to transitional crime, social insecurity and human trafficking. Drug causes organized crime between drug dealers and drug users. In some cases, it might damage the society's reputation. (alt: the use/abuse of drugs)Drugs also contribute to economic and political security (issues?) as well. Firstly, drug dealing does not account for overall GDP growth, it is considered to be laundry money. Drugs tend to cause illegal money transactions and black money for people in the markets. Drug dealers utilize laundry money to purchase arms and weapons from black markets to protect their interests and to support the drug businesses. Secondly, it disables the political development and security problem. This would need newly domestic institutions and handful of people to curb with drug users. When a crime is being arranged, extremists, terrorism (terrorists), separatists and gang will likely cause social insecurity and clash between police officers or innocent people who are anti-drug. This can lead to a serious violence between drug users and non-drug users. For example, in Mexico, Narcos and Cartel promote the use of drug and later bring chaos and social instability in the country (Behera, 2013).

Global health security is also another problem that strongly affects states in every part of the world as a whole. The revolution of transportation and technology leaves people in danger. For example, the Covid-19 or Coronavirus, the virus remains the largest threat to our civilization. It provides negative consequences such as economic recession, deaths (alt: casualties) , unemployment rate and more (Szu Ping Chan, 2020). The rise of coronavirus death toll, ton of positive cases are increasing rapidly, Commercial stays inactive, global tourist sector declines and high rate of unemployment – all of these are provoking threat to humankind in the contemporary period. I argue that Covid-19 virus is different from two parties conflict where two states just fighting against each other by using weapons. States that have better tactics and advanced military missile and resource will likely to win. This war would merely cause destruction and damage to those states who involved in a war but not everyone. However, the Coronavirus is somehow affecting all states across the globe and brough not just domestic issues but an international issue.

Climate change challenge is part of non-traditional security. Signatory states signed Paris agreement on climate change and Kyoto protocol under the United National to reduce CO2 commission in the atmosphere and other greenhouse gases. Climate change requires huge effort from each state party to put high effort in dealing with the problem by using renewable energy and focus on green environment. An environmental issue associated with military clashes in the civil war and intra conflict. weapons cache and waste produce haze and negative impact to the environment. For example, variety of weapons such as missiles, grenade, assault rifle and other weapons correlate with the environmental issue. Furthermore, the conflict and war pose serious insecurity to human lives such as migration, refuges and food insecurity. People seek for safe shelters? across the national border to flee from violence. Refugees’ lives are at risk and scarcity of resources and some basic need like water and permanent shelter. The influx of refugees or group or people can generate ethnic and religious issue between home country and refugees. This is the problem that from non-military aspect that consider is social problem and insecurity. Those people require security protection and fundamental human rights under the provision of United Nations. The migration itself also pressures the government to take immediate actions to save national reputation and reduce equality (Burgess, 2008.)

III. Conclusion

Traditional security is no longer a threat to living hood in the current period as the world is moving closer to work collectively in promotion economic cooperation and economic growth. Whereas, state and state conflict become unrelated and irrelevant internationally and globally. The rising of non-state actors, transnational issues, virus disease arise in the 21th century. I believe that there are the international institution and the concept of neoliberalism that can possibly hamper or prevent states in going to war against each other. In the other hand, we as humans, sharing the same planet, we should take regional and global issues such as coronavirus, transitional crime, network terrorism to deal cooperatively in order to bring better outcomes for everyone. Fundamental concept of freedom and liberty play the most important role in current society. Therefore, safeguard its people from terrorism and protect human kinds are the only choices to gain respect and prosperity from our own people.

In this paper, I utilize cognitive skills and analytical skills based on real-life evidence to study and investigate on this paper why non-traditional security is matter in contemporary world.

References

Abuza, Z. (2005). Balik-Terrorism: The Return of the Abu Sayyaf. Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College.

Behera, B. (2013). Drug Trafficking as a Non-Traditional Security Threat to Central Asian States. Jadavpur Journal of International Relations, 17(2), 229–251.

Burgess, J. P. (2008). Non-military security challenges. Contemporary Security and Strategy, 60–78.

Darlyl G. Kimball. (2020, April). The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at a Glance | Arms Control Association. https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/cwcglance

Drezner, D. W. (2003). How Smart Are Smart Sanctions? International Studies Review, 5(1), 107–110. JSTOR.

Global Cyber Terrorism Incidents on the Rise. (n.d.). MMC. Retrieved May 4, 2021, from https://www.mmc.com/insights/publications/2018/nov/global-cyber-terrorism-incidents-on-the-rise.html

Howe, C. (1990). China, Japan and Economic Interdependence in the Asia Pacific Region. The China Quarterly, 124, 662–693. JSTOR.

James J., W. (n.d.). Weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation challenge. In The Routledge Handbook of Security Studies.

Mark, C. (2018, May 2). Peloponnesian War. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Peloponnesian_War/

Neumann, P. R. (2007, January). Negotiating With Terrorists. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2007-01-01/negotiating-terrorists

Orlando nightclub shooting: How the attack unfolded. (2016, June 15). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36511778

Saurabh, C. (n.d.). Non Traditional Security. Global India Foundation. Retrieved May 4, 2021, from https://www.globalindiafoundation.org/nontraditionalsecurity.html

Szu Ping Chan. (2020, April 14). Coronavirus: “World faces worst recession since Great Depression.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52273988