Tsirigotis Anthimos Alexander
(Researcher, M.Sc International and European Studies in the University of Piraeus, Greece)
Copyright: www.rieas.gr
At the dawn of the 21st century, “cyber” seems to have become the common prefix of every human activity expressing the tendency of people towards networking. Cyber world has emerged in parallel with the real world and its dynamic is so intense that many pundits consider it to be the fifth dimension in addition to land, sea, air and space. States throughout the world have expressed their vested interest in “armoring” their cyber dimension against intruders who intend to harm their vital interests. Networks of any nature (as for instance financial, political and social) have emerged as tools in the hands of anyone willing to take part in them regardless of their country of origin, mother tongue, religious belief or race. They seem to be supranational and many analysts describe networks as virtual societies that exist even though they cannot be defined using real life terms such as land or frontiers. It is interesting to think that many people spend a big part of their day “surfing” the virtual world rather than the real one. They are interlocutors in a worldwide chatting room of a society without borders, without limitations and with free flow of information; citizens of a virtual society with no or limited physical touch. This paper focuses on another aspect of cyber, laying emphasis on its societal dimension and potential to lead to worldwide reordering of power. It is suggested that cyber stems directly from societies and that it involves a different way of international societal organization. Cyber is not considered to be just a technological breakthrough. Instead, it is viewed as the next step to international organization. As chaotic and anarchical as it may be, cyber space is alleged to be the next form of international order. Read more