Borders

The first priority of the state must be the safety of the citizens. In its most basic form, a government is created to provide its citizens with basic human needs that each individual may not be able to guarantee for themselves. The government is created with the consent of the governed for the purpose of protecting its citizens. Even in our globalized world where borders and threats of invasion aren’t quite our top concern, the security of the state is of the utmost concern. However, defining security as solely the territorial integrity of a nation significantly reduces its importance. I, along with I think most Americans, am not concerned with the idea of Mexico or Canada invading sovereign United States territory. I consider myself rather safe and secure from infringements on the United States’ territorial integrity. America’s military and economic power and influence serves as a strong deterrent to other states who may wish to invade. This question is very subjective though, if I lived in Georgia, I would certainly feel that territorial integrity should be the most important aspect of security. A nation must always be able to provide its citizens with security, and in the case of countries such as Georgia or other states in similar situations surrounded by hostile neighbors, sovereignty within their borders must be the top concern. Without sovereignty, the country has no ability to provide the services it was set up to provide.