Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University and an Honorary Fellow of the Joint Service Command and Staff College (JSCSC). Paul lectures on changing drivers of international conflict with particular interests in the Middle East and paramilitary violence, and also has a long-term research interest in the interaction between socioeconomic marginalisation, climate disruption and security. Paul has written/edited 30 books and over 150 papers and book chapters. Paul is a regular broadcaster on radio and TV networks worldwide. He also writes a weekly column on international affairs for Open Democracy.
In this conversation, I speak with Professor Rogers about his latest book, The Insecurity Trap, which explores the intersection of ecological, economic, and military issues and their collective impact on global security. The discussion spans topics including climate breakdown, military-industrial complexes, socio-economic inequalities, and practical actions individuals can take to foster positive change.
Questions covered:
1. How do ecological, economic and security issues combine to create the insecurity trap?
2. What is 'liddism', and why do Western governments prefer it to dealing with the root causes of insecurity?
3. Why is it so hard for conventional military commanders to see ecological collapse as a spur to conflict, and what do those that do suggest to address it?
4. What impact do you think the new Trump administration could have on ecological issues as a source of insecurity?
5. Could you envisage a perfect storm, so to speak, of ecological, economic and security issues coming together to create a new conflict; such as rising sea levels causing mass migration from Bangladesh into India, destabilizing the whole subcontinent and leading to a regional war with Pakistan?
6. What would be your most optimistic hope for how the intertwining threads of the insecurity trap might play out as we move past the first quarter of the 21st Century?
