David Betz
David Betz is Professor of War in the Modern World in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, and is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Centre. His most recent book is “The Guarded Age: Fortification in the 21st Century.” A fortification can be defined as a piece of militarized architecture that focuses an enemy into doing something they normally would not do. Major examples of this might include the Great Wall of China and the border wall between Mexico and the USA. A wall can slow down a foe, but it will not stop individuals unless the wall is secured through another form, such as by human surveillance, drones, or cameras. If not guarded, the barrier will not be very effective. The Iron Curtain was a barrier designed to keep people from moving from the East to the West. Sophisticated surveillance can make physical walls more unnecessary.
