Original scientific paper
The global society and its enemies: «9/11» and the future of the Atlantic civilization
Ludger Kuenhardt
Abstract
Whatever the measures in the fight against terrorism are they cannot transcend the most important consequence of "9/11", which is the privatisation of warfare. "9/11" is not only an attack against the symbols of power that the most powerful country in the world stands for. It introduces an unparalleled asymmetry into global relations, namely the asymmetry between state-channelled means of protection and society-based means of terror. The core of the issue is not whether NATO could any longer remain confined to "in area" reactions or whether it will be bound to increasingly act "out of area" in order to fight threats to the alliance partners. The set of new threats requires a new assessment of the notion of security and new dimensions of security strategies on local, national, and international levels. "9/11" has begun a period of soul-searching and of hard choices in the Western world. Its consequences will go way beyond the war on terrorism: "9/11" has become the rather unpleasant "opportunity" for the Atlantic civilisation to redefine its cause in contributing to world order in the 21st century.
Keywords
terrorism; Atlantic civilization; anti-terrorist measures
Hrčak ID:
6725
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2002.
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