What Global Security Is

1. What Global Security Is • An interdisciplinary field of study concerned with threats likely to be involved in large-scale harms to humanity and habitats • Examines globalized, transnational trends, linkages, inequalities, and asymmetries from multiple entry points • Extends the concept of security in moral and victimological directions; e.g., injustices, concerns, worries, fears • Doesn’t dismiss or trivialize the apocalyptic, existential, or imaginary as undeserving; respects diversity and inclusion • Uses a variety of methods; historical, comparative, legal, statistical, critical, normative, and strategic foresight • Advocates collaborative, comprehensive solutions via cooperation between rivals, competitors, and even enemies • Inclusive yet skeptical of traditional nation-state, international (UN), corporate, and militaristic solutions

2. The Main Areas of Study • 1 – Internationalization, global change and peace • 2 – Economics, finance, monetary policies, trade wars • 3 – Pandemics and population movements, border crises • 4 – Climate change, earth science, outer space events • 5 – War, armed conflict, mercenaries, robots, drones • 6 – Human rights, genocide, massacres, law and justice • 7 – Transnational crime, terrorism, gangs, gun violence • 8 – Cybersecurity, hacking, spying, mass surveillance • 9 – Mass disasters and accidents, natural and technological • 10 – Identity, hybridity, intersectionality, cultural globalization

3. Selected Concepts • Bubble - when the price range for a traded asset exceeds its intrinsic value • Carrying capacity – the regenerative ability of a system or environment • Cosmopolitanism - ethics that all of humanity deserves common dignity • Hybridity - intermingled identifies of ethno-sociocultural heritages • Neocolonialism – shaping a developing country along cultural lines • Neoliberalism – ideology of world governance by the private sector • “Other” - preconscious predilections about people who are different • Polarity – the arrangement of powerful nation-states in the world • Proxy warfare – allows deniability for armed conflicts and meddling • Schmitt analysis – indicates the war-like degrees of cyberattack • Singularity - scenario in which AI computers take control • Threat - a risk greater than fear and with multiple worries • Un-ness – a unexpected, unpleasant, and unmanageable crisis • Zemiology - the study of rarely criminalized harms

4. Key Works in the Field • Booth, K. (2014). "What is Global Security?" Pp. 11-30 in M. Kaldor & I. Rangelov (eds.) Handbook of Global Security Policy. NY: Wiley. • Buzan, B. & Hansen, L. (2009). The Evolution of International Security Studies. NY: Cambridge. • Hough, P. (2013). Understanding Global Security, 3e. NY: Routledge. • Kay, S. (2015). Global Security in the 21st Century. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefied. • O’Connor, T. (2019) Global Security. San Diego: Cognella. • Snarr, M. & N. (2016). Introducing Global Issues, 6e. Boulder: Lynne Reinner.

5. Sample Graduate Programs • American Military University - Ph.D. Global Security • American University – Concentration Global Security • Angelo State – MS in Global Security Studies • Arizona State – MA in Global Security • Embry-Riddle – MS Security & Intelligence Studies • Johns Hopkins - MA in Global Security Studies • National Defense Univ – MA Strategic Security Studies • Northeastern – MA in Security & Resilience Studies • Point Park – MA Intelligence and Global Security • Univ of Baltimore – MA in Global Human Security

6. Sample Jobs in Global Security • Policy Analyst/Program Coordinator/Special Projects Specialist • Community/Urban/Media/Defense Planner/Economics Advisor • Intelligence Analyst/International Agency Representative • Infrastructure Protection/Risk Analyst/Impact Assessment • Travel and Event Security/Diplomatic & Executive Protection • Corporate Supply Chain Risk Assessment/Marketing Manager • Educator, Trainer, Facilitator, Researcher, Ethnologist, Linguist • Foreign Affairs Officer/Aid & Development/Monitor Specialist • Cybersecurity and Data Protection/Incident Response Analyst • Health Science/Public Health/Behavioral Science Advisor • Diversity and Inclusion Officer/Cultural Resource Manager • Co

7. Examples of Threat Linkages • Natural Disasters (from climate change) accompanied by man-made (technological) disasters + social unrest • Economic (currency) collapse accompanied by cyberterrorismand transnational crime + social unrest • Wars and armed conflicts associated with trade disputes, territoriality or energy crisis + corporate takeover attempts • Pandemics plus genocides and human rights violations + rise of gangsterism, warlordism, and mercenary usage • Mass surveillance, artificial intelligence, robot economies + hybrid identity diffusion in cultural globalization

8. Examples of Threats 1. Climate change– everything else seems to come back to, or involve, this. China and India are the world’s biggest polluters, the Pacific has become a garbage dump, and floods, droughts, and fires are getting worse every year. 2. Economic collapse– Social security and pension plans will become insolvent by 2022 (payouts > revenues), Medicare by 2026, and no date can be put on when fiscal overspending, monetary tricks, and government bailouts (the debt crisis) will make money worthless. 3. Technological disaster – scenarios range from a lethal virus released from some lab, a matter-destroying particle from some experiment, a bio- or agro-terrorist event, a mishandled pandemic, misfires in robotics and genomics, structurally deficient infrastructure, and water becoming unsafe to drink.

9. A Sample End of World Scenario China assassinates Kim Jong-un and in retaliation Korean loyalists launch nuclear missiles making it look like the launch came from the United States. This occurs during a blackout from a massive storm along with Russian cyberattacks which have crippled political and communications systems. China responds to the fake US attack with nuclear blasts over major US cities. Global thermonuclear war breaks out, with India, Pakistan, and others joining in. As economies collapse, WWIII is fought out and the 20-year nuclear winter is prolonged by unmitigated climate change.

10. Examples of Possible Solutions to Threats • Geo-engineering or terraforming to make Earth more habitable (enviro-technology impact assessment needed) • Remapping of nation-state system to preserve economic and social survival (redrawing of borders and boundaries) • Tobin tax to offset increasing wealth inequality, abuses in financial speculation (a gold standard, debt relief) • End hunger and improve nutrition with sustainable agriculture (the clean air, food, and water solution) • Better rules for modern wars and armed conflicts with increased transparency and less corruption (peace and diplomacy)

11. The Ethics of Global Security • Cosmopolitanism is the main ethics, which requires mutual respect despite differences in belief. It is similar to globalism and internationalism, but not single-issue global citizen movements like antiwar or labor protests. Globalism is interdependence, and internationalism tries to transcend the lock of the Westphalian state system and redirect attention away from traditional “nation”-oriented solutions. • Cosmopolitanism values the end of racism, sexism, and classism. It strives toward quality of life, solidarity, sustainability, peace, and harmony. Many of our global security grads work as change agents within traditional systems while others are more activist in making a difference. Skill in a foreign language and some foreign travel are recommended.

12. Congratulations on Your Interest …for wanting to intensely study and help solve the most pressing, insoluble, intractable, and wicked problems in the world today; the boiling frog syndromes that are overlooked in traditional nation-state perspectives. Global security threats are emerging and compounding every day. Your awareness combined with this education will make you invaluable in the future. Consider becoming a GSS minor, and support our Institute’s activities. GSS pairs well with any major field of study and reserves you a critical place in the 21st century. Our website is at http://www.apsu.edu/igss