Definition of Security: A Moderate Correction

     The cartoon above is commenting on the increased searches preformed by the NSA at security check points - ultimately arguing that they are getting so out of hand that they are even taking the toys Santa Claus has for children. However, there is a bigger topic here then security pat downs - it is what is security in the 21st century? In many ways, the pat downs are the physical representation of security in the 21st century; national security threats are still the primary concern of security.
      In my first paper, I argued that security was security in the traditional sense, it was the protection of the state from threats foreign or domestic. While I do not think this has changed, there is an addition I would like to make. Human rights are a fundamental principal for each of the nearly 8 billion citizens of Earth. When these are violated, it should be a security concern for every government. Our discussion on human trafficking, combined with the discussions had in the Global Crime class with Professor Twyman-Goshal are what changed my opinion of this. A fair question to ask is how can we worry about defending the country when we cannot defend our own people? I am in turn arguing for human security, but I am arguing for human security in the same way you would argue that a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square. Human rights are the cornerstone of human security, and if we are to advance the definition of security down the road (which is what I argued in my original paper), we must start from the bottom.
      After a semester studying global security, I stand by the argument that the definition of security in the 21st century is one that will change - but for now is locked in on national security. We have seen the devastating effects of earthquakes, human trafficking, terrorism, and piracy, just to name a few, but these cannot best be dealt with until the security of the state is dealt with. When we are able to eliminate the terrorist threat, or create peace in conflict prone regions, then the definition will be able to move beyond that. The definition should not be viewed as a hard and fast definition that is cold and un-changing, but a malleable one, that with the right amount of time, and the right conditions, will change to meet the current security needs of the time.