Four-star General George W. Casey Jr., the highest-ranking U.S. Army official from 2007-2011 and DU alumnus, talked about the problem of globalization and the rising inequality between the wealthy and the poor during a speech on Oct. 12 to an audience of about 120 people in the Sié Chéou-Kang auditorium at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.
“Seventy percent of the world’s wealth is controlled by 20 percent of the population,” Casey said.
He added in the speech that the gap between have and have-not countries could be a potential source for terrorism and extremism.
He also called globalization a “double-edged sword,” and described the effects of the corporatization of modern warfare.
In addition to globalization, Casey addressed topics relating to national security, the nature of international politics and the changing face of warfare.
He prefaced his statements by saying that he’d provide a “soldier’s view of war.”
“If your 30 years are as wild as mine, you’re in for a hell of a time,” Casey said.
He also said students can expect massive changes in the geopolitical landscape in their upcoming careers.
Reluctant to speak or speculate about the future, Casey said military professionals are unable to predict the future.
“We’re human,” he said.
Casey also talked about the role technology plays in global affairs and international wars.
“I wonder how different Bosnia would have been if the people in Kosovo and Sarajevo had iPhones with cameras,” he said.
The tools and advantages of modern technologies, however, can also be used for sinister purposes, according to Casey.
He said nowadays, not only do nations have access to satellite data, but increasingly, corporations and non-state entities can access this information.
“Around 120 states can now use the Internet for espionage,” said Casey.
When addressing cyber-security, Casey also said the Middle East in continuously unstable.
“[It’s] messy business … my view is that it’ll get worse before it gets better,” said Casey – adding that after the Arab Spring, the region will take five or 10 years to return to any semblance of normalcy.
Casey received his masters degree in international relations in 1980 from the Korbel School at DU.
Casey was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2007 to serve as the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, the highest non-wartime position in the Army.
His Senate confirmation vote was highly bipartisan, with 84 senators consenting to his appointment.
He served in this capacity for four years and previously experienced leadership in command operations in the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In those overseas operations, he dealt with troops from 29 countries and oversaw an annual budget of $200 billion during his tenure.
During his 40 years in the military, beginning after his 1970 graduation from Georgetown University and commission into the Army, Casey said he experienced “a decade of war and a decade of transformation.”
“[The] likelihood of state-on-state warfare is now remote,” said Casey.
He also said non-state actors, like Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, are more likely to be the sources of action and aggression against the international powers of the world.
Casey also spoke at a Colorado State Republican Party fundraising dinner on Oct. 13.
Attendees paid $100 to attend the event, which was held at the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management.
“The Colorado Republican [Party] is thrilled to be able to host such a distinguished public servant,” said Sarah Truppo, finance director for the Colorado Republican Party. “We look forward to partnering with folks in the military community in the next year as we move into what promises to be a critically important election year.”
