Does globalization make war more or less likely?
160009668
War has been an unavoidable human convention for thousands of years; whether it to be for land, religion, or ideology, mankind has almost always been in one conflict or another. But since World War II, inter-state war has declined during the process of globalization. Globalization is the economic, political, and social interconnecting of the world. This process has made war, the physical conflict between states, difficult to occur and therefore less likely to occur. Many aspects of globalization have done this, including the advent of nuclear weapons, world allies, the spread of democracy, and economic interdependence. The threat of violence is a strong weapon to wield during interactions …show more content…
The media covers global events in a way it never could previously, with information being sent out instantly from the globe. This leads to the general misconception that the world is more dangerous than in the past. The world now is safer and less conflicted than ever before, with the annual death toll due to war the lowest it’s ever been (“World”). The argument that the world is more violent also lacks definition. Terrorism, civil unrest, civil war, and global tension between states are not classified as ‘war’. As stated in the introduction, war is a physical confrontation between states. While globalization has led to an increase in conflicts such as terrorism, it has decreased …show more content…
Opportunity cost of war, diminishing resources, and inter-state trade are important factors when states deliberate going to war. “International commerce, being a transaction between nations, could conceivably also have a direct impact on the likelihood of peace and war: once again the [economic] interests might overcome the passions, specifically the passion for conquest” (Gartzke 394). This quote by Hirschman in 1977 explains the impact the global economy has on war – it can keep it from happening. The opportunity cost of war, or what you give up to be able to afford war is something that states have been dealing with as long as there has been war. But in the age of globalization, the opportunity costs have never been higher. Weapons are extremely expensive (a B61 nuclear bomb costs about $20 million each), as are planes, tanks, guns, and the task of moving armies from one place to another (“Nuclear”). Wars in the modern era are often too expensive without even adding in the other costs of
160009668
War has been an unavoidable human convention for thousands of years; whether it to be for land, religion, or ideology, mankind has almost always been in one conflict or another. But since World War II, inter-state war has declined during the process of globalization. Globalization is the economic, political, and social interconnecting of the world. This process has made war, the physical conflict between states, difficult to occur and therefore less likely to occur. Many aspects of globalization have done this, including the advent of nuclear weapons, world allies, the spread of democracy, and economic interdependence. The threat of violence is a strong weapon to wield during interactions …show more content…
The media covers global events in a way it never could previously, with information being sent out instantly from the globe. This leads to the general misconception that the world is more dangerous than in the past. The world now is safer and less conflicted than ever before, with the annual death toll due to war the lowest it’s ever been (“World”). The argument that the world is more violent also lacks definition. Terrorism, civil unrest, civil war, and global tension between states are not classified as ‘war’. As stated in the introduction, war is a physical confrontation between states. While globalization has led to an increase in conflicts such as terrorism, it has decreased …show more content…
Opportunity cost of war, diminishing resources, and inter-state trade are important factors when states deliberate going to war. “International commerce, being a transaction between nations, could conceivably also have a direct impact on the likelihood of peace and war: once again the [economic] interests might overcome the passions, specifically the passion for conquest” (Gartzke 394). This quote by Hirschman in 1977 explains the impact the global economy has on war – it can keep it from happening. The opportunity cost of war, or what you give up to be able to afford war is something that states have been dealing with as long as there has been war. But in the age of globalization, the opportunity costs have never been higher. Weapons are extremely expensive (a B61 nuclear bomb costs about $20 million each), as are planes, tanks, guns, and the task of moving armies from one place to another (“Nuclear”). Wars in the modern era are often too expensive without even adding in the other costs of