ABSTRACT
The US is turning its attention to the global commons as a part of its attempt to renew its influence and sustain its international leadership. In this process, the idea of the global commons is being introduced and (re)invented as a key component of US grand strategic thought. To make sense of this discursive and practical innovation, this chapter will investigate in greater detail the notion of the ‘global commons’ and its redefinition in recent strategic documentation of the US and other US-affiliated or friendly actors (for example NATO, the EU). How and why does the US argue for a turn towards the global commons as a new strategic frame? What are the discursive moves through which the global commons is reinvented and incorporated into the strategic lexicon? This investigative work is complemented by a broader discussion of the emergence of a new conceptualization of security – flow security – for the age of the global commons and flows. In addition to discussing this new conceptualization of security, the chapter also engages a practical and theoretical challenge related to the interrelatedness of various common domains in their utilization – a challenge that is especially at the planning tables of the US military. The role of the human aspect as a key component of technologically-enabled interconnectivity in and across various domains is addressed, especially when it comes to disrupting or securing the global commons, or more broadly when using them as sources of power (cyber for example).
