Today sees the publication of the Ministry of Defence's green paper "posing fundamental questions for the future of Defence ahead of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR)". In the press release, we read further that this "is the product of broad consultation within the Defence community." And therein seems to lie a difficulty - as has been said at various times, if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, then every problem can appear to be a nail.
A review of the role of military-based 'defence' in making the world a more secure place should surely look beyond the 'defence community' if it wants to ask really fundamental questions. A valuable publication that came out in the middle of January is "Security for the Common Good - A Christian challenge to military security strategies ", published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, England and Pax Christi, the Catholic peace organisation. In this, they write...
• We call upon churches, dioceses, congregations, parishes, groups, and all individuals of goodwill, to join our appeal to build security for the common good where the pursuit of love and justice set the political, economic and social agenda.
• We call on the Government, as it undertakes its Defence Review, to use this opportunity for a radical evaluation of security policies. It is not enough to tinker with budgets, to choose between ‘boots or bombs’. Now is the time to redirect military spending, research and development into life-giving projects that address our real security needs today.
• We call on all political parties in the run-up to a General Election to reframe their approaches to defence and security in favour of security for the common good.
and conclude:
Today, in the midst of a global economic and environmental crisis, we need to jettison narrow self-interest and ever-increasing military spending in favour of a sustainable security strategy that puts the people – and especially the poor - at its centre.
Can we hope that the MOD and the government of whatever political hue will take the opportunity to answer not only the questions that come from within the establishment, but also those wider questions of how to make the world more secure? The forthcoming general election would seem to be an ideal time to probe candidates' views on this.
