Sources of Conflict in the Twenty-First Century.
Abstract
This paper reviews critically some of the more significant recent writings about the future security environment dealing with sources of conflict in the twenty-first century. The writings reviewed range between the unabashed optimism of Francis Fukuyama1s "end of history" (the history of violent conflict at any rate) and Robert Kaplan's pessimistic and grim "global anarchy" -- a veritable worldwide descent into political, environmental and societal chaos. It is the author's conclusion that the forces acting in and on the security environment in the twenty-first century, while they can be identified with some degree of certainty, are so many, complex, interactive and at times contradictory that attempts to predict future conflicts are problematic. Never the less, they are vital to an understanding of the current and future international security environment and a vital part of the process by which a viable national security strategy is developed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 11, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA364499
Entities
People
- Ralph D. Anderson
Organizations
- United States Army War College