National Security Strategy Comparison
Mid-Term Essay – Compare/Contrast European Security Strategy (ESS) with US National Security Strategy (NSS)
By
James E. McDonald
Regional/Cultural Studies
Lesson 03
24 Mar 2013
Instructor: Col (ret) Frank Belote
Air Command and Staff College
Distance Learning
Maxwell AFB, AL
The Security Strategy of the United States has marked similarities and differences to the Security Strategy of Europe. This can be effectively traced to the similarities and differences between the two cultures themselves, particularly in the cultural factors of religion, modernization, ethnicity/nationalism, and geography. The US and Europe have different responses to the modernization of warfare from traditional (ships, armies, tanks, aircraft) to “asymmetrical” (terrorism, cyber-warfare), largely from differences in geography: With the notable exceptions of Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center, our enemy threat has been thousands of miles away, while Europe has seen two bloody “world wars” and acts of terror committed right on home soil. However, for the purposes of this paper, I will focus on religion and ethnicity/nationalism, and how these two factors affect strategic culture. Culture is important. It defines what’s important to a group, or nation. It emerges in stated doctrine, laws, strategy. It defines who we ARE. There are common views, interests, priorities, and verbiage in both Security Strategic documents. Major powers are at peace. The world economy has grown; globalism is increasingly important. We must reduce dependency on foreign energy. We have a commitment to alliance with each other (US and Europe) via NATO (Obama, 2010, 1-9) (European Security Strategy, 2003, 2-14). NATO has made a strong tie between the US and Europe since it was created to contain the Soviets, integrating Europe and the United States politically and militarily (Friedman, 2011, 1). In fact, “For any kind of military planning and operations with regard to Russia, the
By
James E. McDonald
Regional/Cultural Studies
Lesson 03
24 Mar 2013
Instructor: Col (ret) Frank Belote
Air Command and Staff College
Distance Learning
Maxwell AFB, AL
The Security Strategy of the United States has marked similarities and differences to the Security Strategy of Europe. This can be effectively traced to the similarities and differences between the two cultures themselves, particularly in the cultural factors of religion, modernization, ethnicity/nationalism, and geography. The US and Europe have different responses to the modernization of warfare from traditional (ships, armies, tanks, aircraft) to “asymmetrical” (terrorism, cyber-warfare), largely from differences in geography: With the notable exceptions of Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center, our enemy threat has been thousands of miles away, while Europe has seen two bloody “world wars” and acts of terror committed right on home soil. However, for the purposes of this paper, I will focus on religion and ethnicity/nationalism, and how these two factors affect strategic culture. Culture is important. It defines what’s important to a group, or nation. It emerges in stated doctrine, laws, strategy. It defines who we ARE. There are common views, interests, priorities, and verbiage in both Security Strategic documents. Major powers are at peace. The world economy has grown; globalism is increasingly important. We must reduce dependency on foreign energy. We have a commitment to alliance with each other (US and Europe) via NATO (Obama, 2010, 1-9) (European Security Strategy, 2003, 2-14). NATO has made a strong tie between the US and Europe since it was created to contain the Soviets, integrating Europe and the United States politically and militarily (Friedman, 2011, 1). In fact, “For any kind of military planning and operations with regard to Russia, the
Bibliography: Huntington, Samuel P., “The World of Civilizations” The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (New York, NY: Touchstone, 1997), 26-27 Obama, Barack, National Security Strategy (Washington, DC: Whitehouse Archives, 2010), 1-9 Rosenberg, Matt, “European Union Countries” (About.com, 09 December 2011), 1, http://geography.about.com/od/lists/a/eumembers.htm Rubenstein, Richard L., “Islam and Christianity: The Roots of Europe’s Religious Identity” (New English Review, December 2011), 1, http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/102790/sec_id/102790 Valesek, Tomas, “Europe’s Defence and its New Security Strategy” (Center for European Reform Bulletin: London, England, Dec 2007-Jan 2008), 1, http://gees.org/documentos/Documen-02705.pdf Walthrop, John, “Modell of Christian Charity” (Massachusetts, 1630), 1, http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/sacred/charity.html