Revisting Security Essay

Revisiting Security Essay

At the beginning of the semester, I believed there was a hierarchal need for security, with national security being at the top. After taking this class, I still find this to be true. I do not deny the importance of human, physical, societal, and ontological security, but I still believe none of those are possible without a stable national government. Without a secure and robust government to protect the health of its citizens, there will be mass hysteria, as seen with the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, and ethnic conflicts, as seen in Bosnia. The government in Liberia and Bosnia were not strong enough to contain the Ebola outbreak and prevent an ethnic conflict, respectively. Due to this, insecurity trickled down into human, physical, ontological and societal security.

The need for a strong government to protect its citizens can be seen in Liberia at the height of the Ebola outbreak. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf attempted to quarantine the town of West Point, in Monrovia, with disastrous results. At first, they tried to put all the infected and those who were in contact with the sick in one building, with little to no medical help. Then when that building was overrun, the sick were on the streets, which caused the virus faster, and the government was ill-prepared to handle it. I stated in my first essay that within a power to keep everyone in awe, people would turn back to their self-interested ways. This self-interest was seen when people began to take matrasses from the sick, without regard to the health risk that it imposed. The government was unable to control the citizens, allowing them to run wild. Human and physical security was impossible during the Ebola breakout, due to the weakness of the government. The sick were running among the healthy and rumors about the virus were running rampant. Had the government been more prepared, the Ebola virus would not have spread so easily and quickly, and mass hysteria could have been prevented. Successful government intervention was seen in the United States during the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. The government worked closely with the CDC and scientists to create a vaccine. Before a vaccine was created, officials recommended certain steps to reduce the likelihood of contracting the virus and people listened, because they trusted the government. People were washing their hands more and staying away from crowded areas, unlike citizens in Liberia. Due to the trust in the government and a strong governmental reaction, hysteria was avoided, and no public uproar occurred. Had the government been stronger and more secure in Liberia, the Ebola outbreak might have been contained a lot sooner.

The lack of a strong, unified government leading to a conflict can also be seen in Bosnia in the 1990s. After Yugoslavia dissolved, the country of Bosnia was multi-ethnic, with tensions between the Bosnians, Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Croat, Croats, and Serbs. The Bosnian government and President Alija Izetbegović were unable to control the tensions, which resulted in a full-scale conflict and ethnic cleansings. I stated in my previous essay that without the security of the state, every society within that state would not be safe and secure. Since Izetbegović was unable to get the ethnic groups to co-exist peacefully, a major conflict occurred. A person’s ontological and physical security was threatened throughout the conflict due to the ethnic cleansings taking place. A person could not feel safe in their own skin due to the possibility of forced migration or even death. I stated in my first essay, “Once a sovereign state is introduced, conflict will begin to dissipate because there will be a strong force to protect everyone’s interests.” The conflict was finally resolved after the ceasefire, then later the Dayton Agreement. One agreement during the Dayton Accords was a rotating presidency in which a Muslim, a Croat, and a Serb will alternate in power. Therefore, each ethnic group in Bosnia will be represented and can feel safer in their identity. The introduction of this strong, unified government prevented further conflict and death in the country. Had this stable government not been introduced, different ethnic groups would have continued to not feel safe in their identity.

After taking this class, I still believe that without national security, other types of security begin to crumble. Human, physical, and ontological security is important, but not possible without national security. Without a strong, secure government, public hysteria will occur in a time of turmoil or conflict, and ethnic tensions will become uncontrollable. I stated in my first essay that the continuation of the state ensures the continuation of different ways of life and protects people from any force that wishes to harm them. Had the government been trusted in Liberia, the Ebola outbreak would have been handled in a much better way. Similarly, had the government in Bosnia been stable and had good relations with its people, the Bosnian War, and ethnic cleansings may have been avoided.

On Human Trafficking and Pandemics

            When dealing with issues such as pandemics and human trafficking, two things become immediately clear. Firstly, neither of these security threats respect international borders, and secondly, they are still problems regardless of regulations or plans that are in place. One of the biggest reasons for this later factor comes down the socioeconomic and political situations in regions affected by and responsible for these issues. As an international community and as humans, we simply lack the ability to create universally fool-proof solutions to these problems, although we should, of course, keep trying to solve them despite this.

            When it comes to global pandemics/ epidemics, each nation's plan of action depends on its wealth, previous experience with pandemic situations, societal beliefs and political system. In China for example, when facing SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), an airborne disease, they took extreme measures to minimize and contain the pandemic as quickly as possible. Once they began to take action, they no longer waited for everyone's symptoms to show, then spread more, they determinedly attacked it, even stopping people in their cars and testing their temperatures to see if someone, who was unaware they were infected, needed to be isolated and treated. While China's drastic plan worked, it is highly likely that “a nationwide find-the-fever campaign [...] could not possibly be executed in a country that places civil liberties above the rights of the state. ”(Garrett) It also could not have worked if the mode of transmission had been different, or if their financial resources, and societal beliefs to follow the government, were not as they were.

             A clear example of what could have happened had China's circumstances not been the case is West Africa's – Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia- handling of the Ebola epidemic. Highly infectious and spreading like wildfire from human contact (a key example of the outbreak being the burial of a highly respected local woman, which followed mourning traditions of washing and generally touching the corpse), the World Health Organization set up a branch in Guinea to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, many of their workers in the office and dealing with the infected were not properly experienced with the disease or similar ones, or even death in some cases, and were relatively ineffective, spending more time in meetings planning how to help than actively helping. Locals began to mistrust the foreign aid workers and their local governments and spread wild rumors from the disease being “a conspiracy to kill poor Africans”(2), to the deaths being caused by “cannibalism”(2), and militarily enforced isolation occurred.

             Out of these case studies, a clear fact becomes certain. We, as international or national communities can plan but not plan in the way need because new epidemics are unpredictable, the ways they spread uncertain and plans that work for some pandemics for others don’t. Regardless, we need to assure that nations are always provided with adequate financial resources, medicines, doctors, and individuals with experience in handling the virus or similar viruses, are on hand to actively act instead of just sitting around having meetings and planning while people die. Regardless of pre-existing international/ national frameworks for pandemic management, it needs to be ensured that not only are branches of organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) opened in affected areas, but that the appropriate experts and funding are pushed into the solution as early as possible to more effectively utilize their time and end pandemics quicker, to prevent more emotional trauma and death.

             It is also clear in situations of human trafficking -for hard labor, domestic servitude, and/or sexual labor- that those affected come from regions with weaker regulations and poorer connections with their governments (not to be mistaken with weak governments, as Saudia Arabia(3) is among the nations with the highest numbers of human trafficking). There are numerous regulations that the United Nations has attempted to enforce, that are only complied with to the extent each nation wishes to comply. The nations least like to comply tend to be either more financially desperate or generally greedy and tend to have low concern for most human rights beyond those of their powerful individuals. This doesn't mean the entire nations are corrupt and callous, however, it is a prevailing theme among nations responsible.

             Overall, regardless of the security threat several common causes and effects prevail. Human trafficking and pandemics ignore borders and regulations, and their causes and/or solutions stem from their socioeconomic and political circumstances. There are always going to be diseases that we won't immediately know how to handle and there will likely, unfortunately, always be people willing to exploit others, however that does not mean as an international community we should stop trying to find new solutions to both the overarching security concerns and their causes, as well as ways to lessen the damage these issues can inflict upon humanity.

Works Cited

1. Laurie Garrett, “The Big One?: Is China Covering up Another Flu Pandemic – Or Getting it Right This Time?” Foreign Policy (April 24, 2013) http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/24/the-big-one/

2. Outbreak, Frontline, PBS, 2014 (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/outbreak/)

3. The U.S. State Department. The Protection Project. Image, 2009, Powerpoint

Outbreak Preparedness in America

Of course, we are not ready for an epidemic of any sorts, especially not like the 2014 Ebola outbreak.  The United States, in particular, is extremely talented at pretending to know how to do things, but not at actually doing them.  I personally believe this is a direct result of an increase in the size and strength of the federal government.

Frankly, the government is not very good at doing most things.  We have certainly come to learn that not always are the best people nominated for, elected to, or appointed to some of the most important positions in the nation.  Not only are they sometimes quite bad people, but many happen to be very incompetent.  When a government is full of individuals who are power-hungry and also incompetent, it’s a very scary combination.  And that is what we have here, today.  Further, Americans have been largely conditioned to think that the government, not the private sector, is far more capable of solving problems effectively.  Therefore, our reliance on the government is exaggerated and our tendencies to vote for people who promise to strengthen the government often prosper.

However, to digress, this emphasizes our unpreparedness for another endemic.  When, in 2014, Ebola even reared its head in the United States, there was a nationwide freak out, of sorts.  Government officials had no idea what to do, therefore allowing for poor procedure to take place.  In consequent, when trusted officials and other people of authority seem to be without an answer, a panic ensues and people search elsewhere for answers, making them vulnerable to false claims.  This is exactly what we saw in the African nations that Ebola affected, on a much larger scale than in the United States.

In regards to the private sector’s inherent ability to solve problems with enhanced effectiveness, we saw this in action during the Ebola outbreak.  Doctors Without Borders, a private company, did much of the dirty work in the face of Ebola.  This would very likely be the case, as well, in the event of an American outbreak.  Our government has proved time and time again that it is incapable of alleviating natural disasters with effectiveness, and private companies and citizens take up much of the relief effort.  There is no reason to believe that a health risk like this would be any different.

I believe, as well, that we have a population that believes that since they’re immune to polio, nothing bad can ever happen again.  This is a dangerous and, frankly, extremely privileged take on the very real possibility of an endemic in America.  Moreover, this will plague a community far more than the disease could, since the laid-back, “it-could-never-happen-to-me” mindset allows for the people to not understand the severity of what is happening.  

Along with people failing to understand the severity, we have a notoriously dishonest media in America that would very poorly relay information regarding the outbreak.  We saw with the earthquake in Haiti that CNN and other mainstream outlets are simply incapable of gaining the trust of the American people due to their poor reporting.  All of these factors play into the fact that our government and our people are nowhere near ready for any sort of endemic in America.

NGOs in Haiti

NGOs in Haiti

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 Earthquake hit at the heart of Haiti, Port Au Prince. The Haitian government put the death toll at 250,000. In total, enough money was raised to give each displaced family $37,000, or $13 billion total. However, much of the money never reached Haiti. Many were quick to blame the Haitian government and René Preval, the Haitian president at the time. Due to the history of political corruption in the country, the government became an easy scapegoat for the people. However, it was not the Haitian government who spent or took the money but rather the various NGO’s that flooded into the country after the earthquake. Much of the money was spent on unnecessary commodities for the aid workers.

When all was said and done, only $210 million of the pledged money went to the Haitian government, all with restrictive strings attached. With a population of 10 million in 2010, it would mean each person would only get $21.00. This amount is nowhere close to the amount of money each family or person should have gotten. Therefore, even if the Haitian government decided to pocket the money instead of helping the country, it would not have even mattered. The question then remains, where did the money go?

The United States alone spent at least $368,000 on hotel rooms and food for their workers. Now obviously money needed to be allocated to take care of the workers, but they did not need to stay in four-star hotels not even located in Haiti. Also, there is no need for $50,000 in elevator maintenance in a country that only has a dozen elevators. The most shocking number the $151 million that could not be accounted for at all. Hillary Clinton stated at the United Nations donor conference, “If the effort to rebuild is slow or inefficient,” she said, “if it is marked by conflict, lack of coordination, or lack of transparency, then the challenges that have plagued Haiti for years could erupt with regional and global consequences.” This statement became a reality when much of the money raised never reached Haiti but instead was used by the NGOs for trivial things.

Therefore, the Haitian government and Preval cannot be blamed for the lack of change in the country after the earthquake. Due to the history of corruption in the country, they became an easy scapegoat for everyone. However, them being accused took attention away to the actual problem; the NGOs were not handling and spending money in ways that would help the Haitian people. Organizations such as the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders found that they simply could not spend the money raised for earthquake relief. However, instead of trying to find a way in which the money could be helpful, they did nothing. A question then arises on whether these organizations are structured in ways that will actually be beneficial to relief efforts.

The money raised for earthquake relief was not used in a manner that was effective for the Haitian people. The Haitian government was wrongly accused of stealing the aid money when in reality, most of the money never even made it out of the NGOs. In the future, NGOs need to focus more on helping the country or people in need and not using the money on unimportant things. In doing so, more progress will be achieved in countries in serious need of help.

Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking is undoubtedly a security threat to victims across the globe. Women and children specifically are being forced into labor; feminists analyses of trafficking focus on the threats to the victims as they “are threatened by both traffickers and the state itself”(Lobasz 319). While there are immigration issues that most certainly arise from results of human trafficking, it is a more direct threat to the human security of the victims. The human rights of those who have experienced trafficking should be the foremost concern of people. Typical forms of national security are not efficient in their battles to human trafficking. Specifically, the relationship between immigration and human trafficking has proved difficult to establish. Some define smuggling immigrants across the border and human trafficking as two mutually exclusive things, while others describe them as being “two ends of a continuum”(Lobasz 328). Ultimately, the larger threat is to the people experiencing the abuse of human trafficking and the human security aspect.

Typically, trafficked individuals are subject to horrors that are just now being recognized by the global community. In Kristoff and WuDunn’s Half the Sky, they illustrate the tale of sex trafficking victims. Children and women alike are subjected to beatings and severe abuse, by traffickers. Aspe from the physical torture, there is a large element of psychological torture that afflicts the victims. Half the Sky discusses the account of Meena Hasina and her daughter as they are the victims of sex trafficking. Meena’s daughter, Naina, was taken from her after her birth. She was raised by the traffickers and grew up unsure of her true parentage. She and her brother “were beaten, starved, and abused”(Kristoff and WuDunn 12) inside the brothel they lived in. While there have been efforts to address the problem of sex slavery, many have been ineffective and sex trafficking has worsened over the years. One reason the Half the Sky offers as an issue that prevents progress is the disagreement between political leaders on how to address prostitution.

Some believe that prostitution should be legal if it is between two consenting adults. Others argue that prostitution should not be legalized, as it is inherently demeaning and supportive of patriarchal values. However, the object of both is still to keep women and children safe from forced prostitution. There are many debates and protests that currently discuss whether or not prostitution should be legalized in the United States. There is an image from the Women’s March in Boston of a woman with a protest sign stating “Respect Sex Workers”. Kristoff and WuDunn point out that the left often regard prostitution “nonjudgementally”(Kristoff and WuDunn 25), as they are more tolerant of legalization. In contrast, the right and some feminists recognize an innate indignity in doing so. 

By legalizing prostitution, the goal would be to create safe and secure spaces for sex workers. Therefore, there would be better conditions for those workers and would likely help in preventing abuses that could occur in the workplace. By making prostitution legal, it can be easily monitored to ensure that it meets health and security standards. The problems that arise from sex trafficking cannot be denied to any extent. Thus, many see legalizing prostitution as a step to finding a solution to the sex trafficking issue. While it will not completely eliminate the problem, it could alter the power structure for women who do not feel that they are secure and give them a voice. Others, in contrast, view the legalization of prostitution as perpetuating the problem. Some would argue that women should not feel so insecure that prostitution is their only option to financial or human security. Instead, the illegal activity of sex trafficking should be better addressed, rather than working to legalize prostitution in itself. While each side has different methods and approaches, each understands the scope of the issue that is sex trafficking and that a solution must be created.

The national security aspect of the problem comes into play as there is an emphasis on migrants crossing borders during the sex trafficking process. When victims are deported from one nation, “they risk being re-trafficked”(Lobasz 333). Similarly, in treating victims of sex trafficking as criminals, no solution is developed. Victims then are more vulnerable to a similar situation that caused them harm and abuse before. The current outlines that separate sex trafficking from smuggling are difficult to ascertain, as the difference is dependent on whether or not there was a sense of coercion or deception present in the situation. Therefore, there are challenges posed to nations as they attempt to define the difference between the two, because many trafficking victims consent to crossing borders but certainly do not consent to the exploitation and abuse they face. Thus, it becomes difficult to come up with a plan of action to address such issues. For now, it is of the utmost importance that the human security of the victims is considered. Perhaps legalizing prostitution is a short term solution to ending some of the sex trafficking that occurs, however, it most certainly will not wholly eliminate the problem. Organizations must work to make it clear that women have other options and provide them security in their environments. Similarly, there must be a large commitment to ending the abuse and rape that occur through sex trafficking. 

Works Cited

Lobasz, Jennifer K. “Beyond Border Security: Feminist Approaches to Human Trafficking.” Security Studies, vol. 2, Routledge, 2010, pp. 319–344.

Kristof, Nicholas D., and Sheryl WuDunn. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.

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