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Defining national security: The non-military aspects
Brief Reviews Whiting focuses on the firms established in the Mexican heartland, and barely considers the large investments that have gone into the ~~~~~~0~~ export-oriented processing plants near the U.S. border. The changes he analyzes were much more pronounced in the heartland, an area that will become more important in the NAFTA era.
THE UNITED STATES DefWng National Securiq The ~on-~~ Aspects. By Joseph J. Romm. New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993. 122 pp. $10.95 (paper). Though the United States boasts many national security specialists, rarely does anyone define what national security actually is. The definition of national security is important because it largely determines the requirements for security. Romm shows that the cold war definition of “security” usually implied security from military attack, but, even then, there was a tacit acknowledgement of economic and other nonmilitary threats from abroad. Today, the issue is more opaque. Romm focuses on four non-military threats likely to grow in importance: ~temational drug ~~c~g; env~o~en~l pollution from foreign and international sources; access to energy; and trade. After analyzing these threats, he demonstrates that military forces are a poor or partial soiution for them. Rather, a comprehensive, coordinated approach for dealing with such threats is now more important than ever, linking economics, technology development, and diplomacy, as well as defense. Further, before resorting to military action, this course of action needs to be proven more cost effective than the other options. Most “national security specialists” probably know these points intuitively, but Romm provides an important service by elucidating them and drawing out B.D.B. their implications. Dollars, Diplomacy, and Dependencyz The Dilemmas of U.S. Economic Aid By Robert Zimme~an. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner, 1993. 234 pp. $17.95(paper). One of the most highly visible forms of foreign aid for US policy makers and recipient governments is cash, which comes under the budget category called the Economic Support Fund (ESF). ESF aid is usually allocated either to encourage economic reforms or to support political leaders useful to the United States. Not su~~s~gly, given that the allocations are decided by political officers and politicians, the latter reason usually receives priority. Zimmerman explores the tension between political and economic motivations for ESF. Like most specialists in the development field, he thinks ESF should support economic reform; using it to advance political objectives may enrich leaders but rarely leads to sustained changes in political attitude.
THE UNITED STATES DefWng National Securiq The ~on-~~ Aspects. By Joseph J. Romm. New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1993. 122 pp. $10.95 (paper). Though the United States boasts many national security specialists, rarely does anyone define what national security actually is. The definition of national security is important because it largely determines the requirements for security. Romm shows that the cold war definition of “security” usually implied security from military attack, but, even then, there was a tacit acknowledgement of economic and other nonmilitary threats from abroad. Today, the issue is more opaque. Romm focuses on four non-military threats likely to grow in importance: ~temational drug ~~c~g; env~o~en~l pollution from foreign and international sources; access to energy; and trade. After analyzing these threats, he demonstrates that military forces are a poor or partial soiution for them. Rather, a comprehensive, coordinated approach for dealing with such threats is now more important than ever, linking economics, technology development, and diplomacy, as well as defense. Further, before resorting to military action, this course of action needs to be proven more cost effective than the other options. Most “national security specialists” probably know these points intuitively, but Romm provides an important service by elucidating them and drawing out B.D.B. their implications. Dollars, Diplomacy, and Dependencyz The Dilemmas of U.S. Economic Aid By Robert Zimme~an. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner, 1993. 234 pp. $17.95(paper). One of the most highly visible forms of foreign aid for US policy makers and recipient governments is cash, which comes under the budget category called the Economic Support Fund (ESF). ESF aid is usually allocated either to encourage economic reforms or to support political leaders useful to the United States. Not su~~s~gly, given that the allocations are decided by political officers and politicians, the latter reason usually receives priority. Zimmerman explores the tension between political and economic motivations for ESF. Like most specialists in the development field, he thinks ESF should support economic reform; using it to advance political objectives may enrich leaders but rarely leads to sustained changes in political attitude.