Message-ID: <v01550103b1d4c008f279@[193.10.14.51]> Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 11:12:57 +0200 From: Natalie Pauwels <mailto:pauwels@SIPRI.SE> Subject: democracy and security (again) To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Someone wrote a while back asking about literature which deals with the issues of democracy and security (in relation to the nuclear testing in India and Pakistan).I have just come across an interesting article in a book edited by Brauch, Van der Graaf, Grin and Smit entitled __Controlling the Development and Spread of Military Technology__ (1992). The article, in Part IV which deals with Southern Perspectives on Vertical and Horizontal Proliferation, is written by K. Subrahmanyam who tackles the topic of supply-side weapons/technology proliferation. Essentially, Subrahmanyam refutes the notion that a democratic political system makes much of a difference when it comes to the armament dynamic (attempts to acquire a category of weapons) and the willingness of suppliers to sell the necessary technology. Subrahmnayam points out that an apparent dichotomy exists between industrialized democracies and developing country democracies (eg. India). It is true that the political strategic environment in which states operate - and not the niceties of subscribing to 'Western' democratic values - will largely determine whether transfers will take place. The United States supplied more than a few dictatorial/undemocratic regimes with weapons and other forms of support as long as it suited American interests. I do not wish to point a finger to the US alone, and any number of other industrialized countries could be put into the same category. Simply replace United States with just about any other European/Western/industrialized country you prefer.
This was particularly evident during the Cold War. I have found little indication that things have since changed, however. Perhaps the only perceptible change is that flare-ups in "strategically unimportant" parts of the world are no longer seen as an excuse for the big guys to move in and intervene "on behalf of" one or another political ideal (democracy/communism). Unless of course there is a vital economic (preferably combined with strategic) interest: see the Second Gulf War a.k.a. 'Desert Storm'.
I have gone off on a tangent. My real purpose was to provide the reference for that book.
Enjoy the weekend everyone,
Natalie
********************************* Natalie Pauwels Research Assistant CBW Project SIPRI Froesunda S 169 70 Solna Sweden Phone: +46 8 655 97 32 Fax: +46 8 655 97 33 http://www.sipri.se/cbw/ *********************************