This Week at ISN

24 Dec 2012 - 4 Jan 2013 The Christmas and New Year period provided us with an opportunity to revisit some previously covered issues and to address some new ones as well.

ISN Highlights from 2012 and More

The Future of the State: Is A World State Inevitable?
24 Dec 2012

While many people believe the future of the state is uncertain, Alexander Wendt suffers no such Hamlet-like doubts. In this article we revisit his famous argument that "a world state is inevitable." More "War as a Game"
27 Dec 2012

With the emergence of so-called military-industrial-media-entertainment networks, war in the early 21st century is rapidly acquiring the attributes of a game, or so James Der Derian has argued. In this piece, we explore the implications of this growing overlap for international relations and security. More A Case Study The Biopolitics of Security
28 Dec 2012

As power becomes more diffused, democratized and individualized, the Westphalian state system has come under increased stress. In this podcast, Luis Lobo-Guerrero discusses an alternative way to approach power and security the "biopolitical" one. More Bringing Back Strategic Culture and Grand Strategy
31 Dec 2012

How does a states strategic culture shape its grand strategy? Using the US as an example, Peter Faber explains what strategic culture is, how it relates to grand strategy, and what role the two concepts play in the 21st century. More Archaeology and the Israel-Palestine Conflict
03 Jan 2013

Despite the seismic changes occurring throughout the greater Middle East, the Israel-Palestine conflict seems frozen in amber. The politicization of archaeology by both sides merely reinforces the status quo, or so argues Jennifer Wallace. More Intelligence Gathering and Reform: The Case of the United States
04 Jan 2013

According to Gregory Treverton, US intelligence reform remains a work in progress. While reorienting the FBI and creating the National Counterterrorism Center represent progress, establishing the Department of Homeland Security and the position of Director of National Intelligence do not. More

Security Watch
Human Security Report 2012, Chapter 5: State-Based Armed Conflict
24 Dec 2012

Chapter 5 of the 2012 HSR explores the relationship between battle-related deaths and state-based armed conflicts. It concludes that while Africa has the highest number of conflicts in the world, the deadliest ones now occur in Central and South Asia. Greater military involvement is an unsurprising reason why. More

Human Security Report 2012, Chapter 6: Persistent Armed Conflict An Increasing Threat?
27 Dec 2012

While recurring or persistent armed conflicts appear not to be rising, this chapter of the 2012 HSR highlights the ambiguous data that surrounds them, as well as the theoretical and methodological challenges of assessing the threats they pose. More Human Security Report 2012, Chapter 7: Non-State Armed Conflict
28 Dec 2012

While non-state conflicts now outnumber their state-based cousins, the 2012 HSR confirms that the latter still remain far more deadly. Gaps in the quality of data, however, and difficulties with monitoring, reporting and verifying deaths in non-state conflicts may account for some of this disparity. More Human Security Report 2012, Chapter 8: Deadly Assaults on Civilians
31 Dec 2012

Contrary to popular belief, deadly assaults and one-sided violence against civilians by governments or armed non-state actors are not on the rise, either in war or in peacetime. This portion of the 2012 HSR carefully defines this species of violence before exploring its role in various types of conflict. More The Humanitarian Fallout of a Military Intervention in Mali
03 Jan 2013

The recent resignation of Mali's Prime Minister, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, raises further doubts about a possible international military intervention in the northern part of the country. From a humanitarian standpoint, argues Jeremie Labb, this is not unwelcome news. More Superpower Symbiosis: The Russia-China Axis
04 Jan 2013

Sino-Russian relations are currently the best they have ever been, and a mutual interest in counterbalancing the West's pivot towards Asia makes even sturdier bilateral cooperation likely. Nevertheless, Richard Weitz argues that Sino-Russian relations remain fundamentally quite volatile. More

ISN Blog
Energy Independence in an Interdependent World
24 Dec 2012

The United States is becoming much less dependent upon foreign energy supplies. Yet, as Joe Nye argues, growing global economic interdependence ensures that it will remain sensitive to external shocks and dramatic hikes in global energy prices. More Time to Test Iran
27 Dec 2012

Efforts to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions have focused on deterrence and preventive military action. Richard Haass, however, believes there is a third option i.e., negotiating a ceiling on Tehrans nuclear program that is 'high enough' for its purposes but 'low enough' for the US, Israel and others. More Why Is Russia Favored by Mongolia and North Korea?
28 Dec 2012

Since 1991, Mongolia and North Korea have steadfastly maintained healthy diplomatic relations with Russia. Jargalsaikhan Mendee wonders what geopolitical opportunities both countries might offer Moscow in the future, particularly in enhancing its influence throughout Northeast Asia. More The NATO Global Hub
31 Dec 2012

The United States is shifting its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region. As a consequence, it is also asking its NATO partners to embrace an increasingly global vision for the Alliance. Richard Weitz considers how NATO members should respond both to the USs shift in priorities and to its follow-on request. More The Media Cold War
03 Jan 2013

The world is in the grip of an information war, argues Anne-Marie Slaughter. The fault line lies between those states that regard the free flow of information as a fundamental human right and those that regard official

control of information as a sovereign prerogative. More Outsourcing Responsibilities: Australia's Punitive Asylum Regime
04 Jan 2013

Australia now requires all asylum seekers to be taken to offshore processing centers, irrespective of their point of origin. The decision suggests that Canberra is willing to renege on international obligations to safeguard human rights, or so argues Agnes Woolley. More

Video
The Rise of the BRICS: Threat or Benefit? CIGI Senior Fellow Colin Bradford discusses the increase in IMF funding provided by emerging market economies (announced during the G20 Los Cabos Summit in 2012) and whether this funding is a good thing for other nations. More How To Raise A Private Army: Mercenaries and International Law In this video, Chaloka Beyani discusses how military downsizing has led to the rise of private security companies and where these de facto mercenary armies fit (or not) within international law. More In Conversation: Robert Kaplan International Relations and Geography In this video, strategic analyst Robert D. Kaplan and Military Fellow James Brown discuss the importance of geography in understanding and explaining international affairs. More How Do You Apply Technology to Future Combat? In this video, the US National Defense Universitys T. X. Hammes explains why technology is not transformative in war. As in the past, it will continue to be just one available tool among others. More

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