The Ultimate Weapon is No Weapon: Human Security and the New Rules of War and Peace

( 1 )

Want to read this on your NOOK? Request as NOOK Book from the publisher

Thank you for requesting this book as a NOOK book from the publisher.

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Meet the Author

Advertising

Overview

The twenty-first century has seen millions unemployed. It has seen livelihoods undermined by environmental degradation. Middle-class cities in Europe, Asia, and Africa have become cauldrons of violence and resentment. Tribalism, ethnic nationalism, and religious fundamentalism have flared dangerously, from Russia to Spain. The use of force is unlikely to help. What works when counter-insurgency has run its course: in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond?

In this book, two authors brought together from distant points on the political spectrum by their concerns about the repercussions of violent political conflict on human lives, explain and explore a new idea for stabilizing the dangerous neighborhoods of the world. They challenge head-on Condoleezza Rice’s declaration that "it is not the job of the 82nd Airborne Division to escort kids to kindergarten” contending that, in fact, it should be. When marginalized populations are trapped in poverty and lawlessness and denied political power and justice brutality, and fascism thrive. Human security is a new concept for clarifying what peace requires and the policies and priorities by which to achieve it.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Beebe, Senior Africa Analyst for the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, and Kaldor, director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics, illustrate the failures of military might as the solution for insurgencies in global hotspots like Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans. The authors argue that issues of basic human security, such as access to water, power, and medical services, will ultimately turn local opinion and support to whomever can provide it. Focusing primarily on Iraq and Afghanistan, Beebe and Kaldor believe that a challenge to ending the insurgency is the fact that the U.S. and its allies are following the Laws of Land Warfare, or more simply, the rules of war, whereas the insurgents are not; for them, the ends justifies the means. The authors argue that providing for basic security can work in winning hearts and minds, but that basic security isn't enough. Real change will require re-educating people to demand security from their own governments. A shift such as this will happen only if the people want it to, and it will have to take place over many generations.? (May)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781586488239
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Publication date: 5/11/2010
Pages: 256
Sales rank: 601,619
Product dimensions: 6.50 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Mary Kaldor is professor and director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics and Political Science. Her books include The Baroque Arsenal, The Imaginary War, New and Old Wars, and Global Civil Society. She lives in London, England.

Lieutenant Colonel Shannon D. Beebe is currently serving as the Senior Africa Analyst, Office of United States Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, he lives in Angola.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5

( 1 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

TheReadingWriter

Posted July 19, 2010

more from this reviewer

This slim book means to stimulate debate

This enormously stimulating book faces truths we've known for some time but perhaps haven't articulated. Our military with it's focus on heavy machinery and fighter-jets we can't use (the F-22)-this magnificent fighting force composed of brash young kids listening to i-pods and practicing on video games--isn't really "winning" the wars in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. We've seen also that our National Guard is increasingly deployed for disaster relief, construction and reconstruction, rather than for fighting. After the Haiti earthquake, we sent in troops-and they had to keep peace. It's odd, that we spend so much time teaching our fresh-faced young men to kill and then direct them to save instead. It appears to be time to rethink this-rethink the plan we have for our military, the money we spend on it, the demands we expect to be placed on it.

I actually agree with the Kaldor thesis that we should fundamentally rethink our strategic balance of weapons. I believe it is very unlikely state-based government is going to drop a nuclear bomb on anyone, except possibly one as unhinged as the present North Korean government. Even then, it is likely cooler minds in the chain of command would stop that atrocity before it became reality. Kaldor argues that we provoke the deadly venom of mad-states by not having deniability when it comes to nuclear. In the end, I see no reason to preserve the nuclear option. Even in retaliation, it is unlikely a state contemplating using a nuclear weapon could present a reasonable moral argument for doing so.

I agree with the authors Beebe and Kaldor that non-state insurgent groups and weather are going to be the sources of our greatest security challenges in the coming years, and that perhaps we should think about creating a security force, a military, with a fundamentally different focus: defensive rather than offensive, stabilizing rather than destabilizing, requiring a different kind of troop.

Beebe talks about his work looking at what "security" means to people in different countries in Africa, and comes to the conclusion that their concerns are daily-living immediacies, not long-term possibilities. Finally, the two directly address the role of energy in our on-going concerns: "Energy security is a global problem linked to climate change and so, instead of geopolitical competition, there needs to be a global strategy that combines diversification, transparency, and human security." Both authors recognize they will be criticized for this approach (for being too optimistic), but our children may surprise us with their wisdom, pragmatism, and innovation. This is a short, clear, thoughtful framing of the debate.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble