Politics of Democratic States Essay

Speaking more fully about the threat of terrorism and the need for intelligence to fight it, the reliance on terrorism has been very widespread when speaking of the fight against global terror. Initially, the answer to fighting terrorism was thought to be laws against terrorist activities in an effort to try to prevent terrorist acts; however, this was shown to be ineffective, evidenced by many events worldwide. Eventually, the valid conclusion was reached that solid intelligence was much more effective to prevent organized terror efforts where laws to discourage them have failed (Evening Standard-London). In yet another case, we see how intelligence has become something upon which governments large and small rely for their very survival. Indeed, no nation can survive without economic, as well as domestic security, which has caused a reliance on intelligence for economic security also. Intelligence in the Service of Economic Security In ancient times, the tribes with the most gold controlled territories because of their ability to purchase what was needed pay soldiers to fight, and so forth. In modern life, economic security is a key concern as well for every nation. Without the ability to maintain an effective military, provide for the wellbeing of the citizens, and keep the population feeling confident about the nation, indeed nothing can take place. Therefore, economic security must stay at the highest possible level, which once again is made possible through effective intelligence operations (Foucauld). Indeed, the correct intelligence is essential to the economic security of a nation because if good intelligence indicates that there are financial allocations required for a given course of defense, and massive financial resources are dedicated to that effort, it can well be a highly wise investment in the longevity of the nation. On the other hand, however, if bad intelligence leans toward a massive financial obligation which was not needed, and the obligation is made at the sacrifice of other needed alternatives, the consequences could be devastating. In this scenario, the relationship between intelligence and financial security is clear; intelligence is essential for smart budgetary decisions, but the intelligence must likewise be of sufficient accuracy to warrant valid strategic moves. In the previous section of this paper, the discussion of oil came about in terms of its strategic importance in the world; in this section that deals with finance, the oil issue bears repeating. Oil is a key economic driver worldwide, and therefore, nations rely on intelligence about the global oil supply to plan for their future initiatives. Oil, in the modern economy, is much like gold was to the early tribal leaders. The nations that have the majority of the oil supply indeed hold the key to the financial progress of the globe in their hands. Without a free flow of oil in the world, the economy is bound to stall, and chaos will ensue. Reports indicate that the nations that hold the major world supplies of oil guard the amount of available oil as a deeply guarded state secret, so as not to tip their advantage to other nations; therefore, clandestine intelligence is so very important to try to learn this information. Again, bad intelligence in this area, or none at all, could be deadly. The reliance on intelligence continues in this area as well. Conclusion This paper has utilized relevant literature and educated conclusions based upon that literature to explore government intelligence in greater depth in an effort to understand why governments rely on it. If nothing else has been proved in this paper, it cannot be denied that given the complex world in which modern governments operate, an intelligence network of some sort must be in place for all nations to protect their own interests as well as to monitor the activities of rival nations and their international neighbors. Perhaps, as well, an answer to the conflicts of the world lies in the use of intelligence, for if a nation is able to prove and understand that their neighbors are not as threatening as they appear, and that they are gathering intelligence to confirm the same about other nations, maybe everyone can relax a bit and have a more amiable international relationship, which in the long run, could help the world to be safer and more prosperous. Works Cited Bar-Joseph, Uri. Intelligence Intervention in the Politics of Democratic States: The United States, Israel, and Britain. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995. DeSouza, Patrick J. , ed. Economic Strategy and National Security: A Next Generation Approach. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000. Foucauld, Jean-Baptiste De. â€Å"Post-Industrial Society and Economic Security. † International Labour Review 135. 6 (1996): 675+. â€Å"The Hidden Hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence. † Contemporary Review Nov. 2001: 320.