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Globalisationisalsorevealingtheriseoffuturepowerstates,whichhavein
commonnotableexpenditureontheirmilitary.Theoutlayscanbeattributedto
acountryfeelingthreatenedand/orneedingtobolsteritsmilitarycapabilityfor
defencepurposesaspartofitsoverallprovisionofnationalsecurity.Alternatively,
increasedmilitaryexpenditurecouldbeapartofacountry’slong-termstrategic
planinorderforitbecomemoredominantontheworldstage,influentialand/or
powerful.AccordingtotheStockholmInternationalPeaceResearchInstitute
(SIPRI),twenty-threecountriesdoubledtheirmilitaryspendinginrealterms
duringthiscentury.Thereisnostraightforwardpatternorcorrelationlinking
thesecountriesintermsoftheirdefenceexpenditureortheirmotivationsthey
differbysize,development,geographicallocation,economicoutput,incomeand
accesstoresources.
Atagloballevel,whilesomecountrieshavesharplyincreasedmilitary
expenditure,totalspendinginrecentyearshasinfactfallen.Thesereductions
haveoccurredinNorthAmerica,andinsomeofthecountrieslocatedincentral,
easternandwesternEuropeaswellasinOceania.Withtheexceptionofthelatter,
manyofthecountriesfromtheseregionsareNATOmembers.Incontrast,world
militaryexpenditureincreased,especiallyintheworld’smostpopulousmarkets,
ChinaandIndia,aswellasinRussiaandSaudiArabia.TheUnitedStates
currentlyspendmorethananyothercountryonmilitary,accountingfor37%of
theworldtotal,whileChinarankssecond(11%)andRussiathird(5%).TheUnited
Kingdom,France,GermanyandJapanroundoutthelist.Thissuggeststhat,
globally,ashiftinthebalanceofpowertowardstheeastisobservable.
InrespectofEurope,defencespendinginmanyEUMemberStates/NATO
membershasfallenorremainedlowduringaperiodofconflictanddestabilisation
intheeast.Forexample,theRusso-Georgianhybridwar,thefirstofitskind,took
placein2008.In2014,theannexationofCrimeaandthesubsequentconflictin
easternUkrainerevealedsimilarapproachestothiskindofwarfare.Suchinter-
ventionsarecarriedoutwithaviewtodenyingsovereignstatesfrompursuing
theirgoalsofseekingwiderintegrationintothefreeworld.Territorialgains
and/oraccesstoresourcesandmarketsareoftenthemotivationforaggression.
ForEuropeandtheworldasawhole,theUkrainiancasehasnotonlydestabilised
theregionbuthasalsopresentedtheEuropeanUnionandNATOwithchallenges
theywerenotpreparedforontheirEasternFlank.Atthesametime,conflictin
theMiddleEastandNorthAfricahasledtolargeinflowsofmigrantsentering
theEuropeanUnion(EU)fromthesouth.ThemigrationintoEuropeposesdirect
threatstothecontinent’seconomicsecurity,aswellasbeinglinkedandleadingto
terroristattacksinsomeoftheEU’ssouthernandwesternstates.
Thisintroductionhasrevealedthatglobalisation,whilebenefittingnumerous
countrieseconomically,hasnotonlyledtogeopoliticalpowershiftsandincreased