Political Asymmetries in the Era of Globalization

At the latest since 9/11 the phenomenon of the «asymmetry» or, more common, the «asymmetric warfare» has become a subject within International Relations. So, highly unequal parties face each other in asymmetric warfare, with one of them trying to inflict major damage on the other by making only a minor effort. Since the time when interstate wars started to disappear, the traditional ideas of wars have become useless and obsolete as a basis for political decision-making. For several years policy-makers, officials, and writers on defence and foreign policy have employed the terms «asymmetric» or «asymmetry» to characterize everything from the nature of the threats we face to the nature of war and beyond. Labelling current and future threats as «asymmetric» diminishes our understanding of the threat environment. In the age of globalization, of new threats, new and even revolutionary technologies, and new forms of military operations, the requirement for clear thinking increases commensurately. Authors from four continents will follow this new way of thinking.