|
|
#1 |
|
Yes
|
Power is based on a wide variety of sources. Developments in any one of them can affect the international system. Occasionally, the change may be sudden. For example, nuclear weapons that can rapidly strike anywhere in the world dramatically changed the system from what it had been back in the 1930's.
More often, sources of power and their importance evolve slowly. For all the revolutionary impact of nuclear weapons, a more important evolutionary change may be the gradual decline of usefulness of military might. Some analysts believe that military power is becoming less important because of the astronomical economic costs of wars and their potential cataclysmic effect. The decrease in the importance of military force as a policy instrument has, according to this line of thought, increased the importance of economics as a source of power. Most observers would agree, for instance, that Japan is a major power even though its military forces remain very limited. Russia still possesses a fearsome nuclear arsenal, yet its economy and society are in such a shambles that its status as a major power has plummeted. Advancing interdependence may also mean that even other forms of coercive power, such as economic sanctions, are gradually becoming less relevant. The reasoning for this is that a country that applies the sanctions may do as much harm to itself as to the country it is trying to punish. Certainly military might and economic capacity remain the cornerstones of state power, but such factors as technological sophistication and leadership capacity may be growing in importance. Specforces
__________________
Check Out My Music |
|
|
|
|
|
#2 |
|
FFR Player
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,069
|
Well look at it this way.
Japan is more powerful than Russia. Russian blows up Japan. Russian is more powerful than Japan. Japan is a rat. Russian is a set rat trap. In a race the rat will probably win, and the rat is usually more intelligent, but, that's only when the rat and rusty spring of that mouse trap are friends. Rat makes the wrong move... and then the rat trap takes a giant leap in relative intelligence.
__________________
-Jamie |
|
|
|
![]() |
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|