Hugo Chávez: I am a maoist

This is a very interesting fact. Who could imagine that the Chávez' "populismo" would go so far? Read it here, in Portuguese: Hugo Chávez se declara maoísta na China

New Guidelines for Japan's Military Forces

Despite of being a polemical issue, this can change the global strategy's game a little...

Major newspapers were divided over Japan's new defence guidelines which end its decades-old ban on military exports and deem China and North Korea as potential threats.

The mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun welcomed the new National Defense Program Outline adopted by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet on Friday.

"Historic changes in the security environment have brought about new developments in Japan's security strategy," the conservative newspaper said in an editorial on Saturday.

Terrorism

Finally UN has some thoughts about terrorism.

Nuclear talkings included?

Many people have doubts about the origins of Brazilian nuclear technology. Black market is alwalys a source for this. And Brazil wasn't, in the past,looking for Pakistan as a business partner. Why now?

Pakistan's Musharraf, Brazil's Lula to talk business.

Brazil's authoritarian government

Members of Brazilian's "Polícia Federal" were suddenly realocated to other functions, in different locations. Is this a problem? Maybe not. But they are the same that caught the loyal president's man of marketing in illegal gambling recently. This is not a isolated new. Last week a filmmaker voluntarily deleted scenes from his movie that showed the alcoholic habits of our president. To where are they guiding us?

Castro-Chavez's Axis?

Maybe it's true. At least in the mind of some admirals. If you read Spanish, this is an information to be considered.

H.D: ¿Las fuerzas armadas cubanas deberían ser parte de esa integración militar? Cdte: Yo creo que sí. Cuba nos ha dado una demostración de libertad, de autodeterminación de los pueblos. Cuba tiene más de cuarenta años con un bloqueo económico y ahí está con un potencial en el área de la salud que es increíble.

Estamos contando con un apoyo cubano vital para Venezuela en el programa “Barrio Adentro”. Es un programa bandera, un programa bandera porque ha ido a los barrios mas necesitados, por eso decía yo en mi mensaje que la Armada, a partir de hace unos años atrás, se ha convertido en una armada social, para apoyar a los más necesitados, a aquellos que los tuvimos relegados y que no les dimos la oportunidad de ser seres humanos como nosotros, con sus necesidades básicas cubiertas.

Cuba ha demostrado que tienen una capacidad para autoabastecerse. No hay problemas de salud en Cuba que no puedan ser atacados por ellos mismos, no hay desnutrición, no hay analfabetismo, entonces ha sido un país que ha demostrado ante el mundo su autodeterminación. Por lo tanto debe integrarse a nuestro continente. Y no solamente Cuba, sino toda el área del Caribe; todos aquellos que nos ven a nosotros como grandes, que nos ven a nosotros como una posibilidad de desarrollo, hay que integrarlos también a nuestro territorio y nuestra unión.

The New York Times > International > Americas > Rumsfeld Urges a Latin Push Against Terror

The New York Times > International > Americas > Rumsfeld Urges a Latin Push Against Terror

Remember the recent terrorist attacks in Buenos Aires (this week!).

Nothing will change here

Chavez can sleep well? Not so much. However....(see the link below)

MSNBC - The Americas-Don't Expect Too Much

Terrorists go Holland

That's true! Unfortunately, this is true! Check it in this link.

Modelos de Otimização com Persistência para Alocação de Aeronaves de Ataque

Applied Operational Research...to War

A very interesting article about the operational research applied to war. In Portuguese.

Modelos de Otimização com Persistência para Alocação de Aeronaves de Ataque

Security for whom, by whom, and with whom? - Norman A. Bailey

Other good analysis about the security in the Americas. Attention should be paid to these words: The discussion of security issues, at least since September 11, 2001, has fluctuated among three modalities: strategic/theoretical, tactical/technical and ideological/emotional. Little attention is paid to such fundamental considerations as definitions. In fact, there is no generally-accepted definition ofeven such a constantly-used concept as “national security." The most common confusion is that of national security with national interest.

The difference is profound, however. Countries have many national interests: political, economic, diplomatic, social, environmental, cultural, etc., and pursue these interests through a variety of means: political, diplomatic, economic, informational and cultural. The concept of security however implies a threat to the integrity of the entity involved, be it a person, a family, an organization or a country. National security concerns are a subset of national interests and imply a threat to the security of the state. It is only these concerns that will be addressed not only by the means mentioned above, but also through subversion, military display and war.
In this paper I will argue that the pursuit of hemispheric security suffers from a variety of obstacles, including organizational, political and strategic. Most significant, however, is the lack of an operational definition of hemispheric security common to at least the most important countries of the region. US leadership will be sorely tested by these factors and may have to settle for incremental progress, often through bilateral agreements among agencies and departments of government, rather than hemisphere-wide agreements among states.

Contrast it to the lecture quoted in the last post. They are both good material to start thinking about the real problems of security in our continent.

A very lucid analysis of the Defense issues Brazil has to face in the Southern Hemisphere

This article is reprinted with permission in the DEFESANET's webpage: BRAZIL’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE GLOBAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT AND THE UNITED STATES ROLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT - Brazilian Army MG (Ret) Alvaro S. Pinheiro.

In my humble opinion, it's an excellent document about the challenges Brazil have in the XXIth century concerning its Defense.

Brazilian Ministery of Defense creates a new webpage

The new webpage is about academic research in Defense. I think it's an excellent news. It's true that we don't have "military sciences" in universities (like in UCLA, for example), but it's a good starting point.

I hope, however, that the "Great visions in geopolitics" could share more space with microanalytical foundations of conflict. Is anyone interested?

Link: Espaço Acadêmico

Terror

Here is a book that can be interesting...Profiles in Terror: A Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations - by Aaron Mannes - Foreword by R. James Woolsey

Atlas takes the gun and the shield :)

Markets, Government and...Conflict

After 9/11, Defense and Economics became more popular - so as to speak - among researchers. Economic researchers can contribute to it through the theoretical tools they have (Jack Hirshleifer, Todd Sandler, etc). But it's also important to build concrete suggestions looking to the reality and the data.

Atlas Economic Research Foundation is worried with this theme. Good to know they are working on this with other Think Tanks.

Details? Here is a piece of text: THINK TANKS FOR A SECURE, FREE SOCIETY

Atlas has assembled this special report as a survey of efforts by non-U.S. think tanks to address important issues in the areas where economics is affected by -- or overlaps with -- issues of security, intelligence and defense. The horrible events of September 11 left no doubt that virutally all policy issues need to be analyzed in the context of the security threats of this era. Atlas encourages more think tanks outside the United States to study the manner in which some of the more successful U.S. think tanks have built expertise in these subjects. See, for example the Heritage Foundation's work on Homeland Security, Cato Institute's work on terrorism, and the Institute of World Politics among others.

Below, we maintain examples of work being done along these lines, from various parts of the international network of think tanks who aspire to achieve a secure, free society.

Latin American Security, Economics & Defense

Why is Defense an important topic in modern economic theory?

Take this from Latin American Security, Economics & Defense (LASED): "The free economy is nothing but the system based on respect for private property plus the free movement of goods, money and people. All those rights are affected by the violence of terrorism and totalitarian regimes".

And, of course, take a look on their site.

Modern Day Piracy

First Post: Piracy

Hello readers. I hope you like this site. Sometimes the site will be in Portuguese. Sometimes, in English.

Today the topic is piracy. Modern piracy is a good example of how markets, governments and conflict can be related. Sources of data:

1. Modern Day Piracy
2. FAS - Pirates

And take a look on this picture.