Verónica Cortez
INTL 1800
Der Derian and Santos
Lit Review for 2.27.08

The article “The (S)pace of International Relations: Simulation, Surveillance and, Speed ” gives one much food for thought in the context of both the cold war and today’s media and representation of what could be happening behind the scenes. Simulation, the idea that instead of preparing for real events through actual practice and training, a video module gives all the training that is necessary. Surveillance makes one wonder how much one can actually keep things completely secret if everything is potentially being listened to. Speed is necessary to continue at the top of the global hierarchy therefore we see technology advance every day. This article presents how technology has changed the security and war and how it will continue to change.

Professor James der Derian argues that people like to know that they are safe; they like to feel that the government is keeping them out of harm’s way and therefore stealth and illusionary practices are necessary. Disneyland itself only exists to give reality to everything else, but everything else is lost to simulation and to the effort of making it real. Illusions, simulations, the ones we create ourselves or those that are created for us can have great impact on our perceptions and how we react. “…simulations have been staged to prepare nation states for future wars; by doing so, as many players would claim, they help keep the peace…” (300). They help keep the peace, because even imaging war through a computer visual is too hard tolerate. These simulations can also as was the case with the Vincennes, “That training relied heavily on tapes that simulate battle situations, none of which included overflights by civilian airliners – a common occurrence in the Gulf” (301). In this case simulation training did not help keep the peace it proved instead to not be proper training for real life situations.

The object brought to mind by the term surveillance is the panopticon, which can see all around it without reciprocating. It is now an outdated method in comparison to the possibilities opened up by changes in technology. “The modern panopticism takes many forms but it is the communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT), radar intelligence (RADINT), telemetry intelligence (TELINT), and photointelligence (TECHINT) – that constitute a new regime of power in international relations” (304). There are various options to communicating and therefore methods are created to exercise control over them. The ability to detect key words during phone calls can beget the illusion of safety. If there is constant vigilance there is constant safety whether or not it invades the privacy of citizens. The fact that some of the information is achieved through unknown means generates conspiracies complicates matters as understanding who should be to blame. In the end “it normalizes relations by continuing both war and peace by other, technical means” (305). Some of the surveillance via satellite coverage becomes complicated when it interferes with countries which can generate conflict.

Speed, according to Paul Virilio, is the essence of war, “It is speed that transforms the hand into a dangerous fist…” (307). During war it is speed that saves your life and it is speed that makes you the winner. The faster that a person can dive for cover or find the enemy the faster the threat will be neutralized. Speed then, is key to being a winning force, to being an important force in International Relations. Time can become even more important than the space the war is fought in when weapons like nuclear bombs are being used. Speed becomes most necessary.

This article brings to mind the television show Alias. The show ran for five seasons giving one the impression that the idea of espionage is one that caters to a large public. The show itself presents visuals of the ideas presented in this article. The image of Surveillance in the way the CIA uses ECHELON to listen in on phone conversations and in this way is tipped off to potential threats to national or global security. They are then to use the utmost speed to change the potential disaster that has already been simulated to them via computer technology if they fail the mission. Surveillance, simulation and speed are especially important to someone that is a double agent in helping to keep that particular status secret.

There are no real conclusions as to what happens next only questions. Where have we come since the Cold War and where are we going with this war in Iraq? What role have these actions played and what role will they continue to play in the upcoming years?