Article May 28, 2001 Issue

A changing military and a constant peace

By Ian Finlayson

I first enlisted in the Australian Army Reserve in 1973 and in the Australian Regular Army in 1978. In the intervening period I have seen my professional environment change considerably.

The world is emerging from a cold war concept of national security that was almost exclusively defined in terms of military threats from outside a nation's borders. This concept assumed that these threats were more dangerous than threats from within—internal enemies to stability and viability.

But national security is increasingly concerned with the rights of the individual instead of just the state. More and more, people see issues of human health and welfare, see social problems and the safety of individuals, families, and communities, as important to national security. To me, this change shows that humanity is making progress.