Defense and Dependence in a Global Economy

by Raymond Vernon

The Soviet Union is no more. And with its departure from the roster of nations, military experts and foreign affairs specialists find themselves obliged to rethink the premises that have guided them through four decades of tension. One consequence of that development is the weakening of one of the ties binding Western Europe and Japan with the United States. The loss of a common external threat has tended to turn governments inward and to raise new questions about the relevance of existing military alliances and common defense policies. While military experts and foreign affairs specialists have pondered the implications of these weakening ties, scientists, engineers, and business managers have moved in a contrary direction. Revolutionary improvements in the international means of communication have driven them relentlessly toward a global perspective; the movement toward a global economy, long in the making, has continued unabated through the period of political turmoil and restructur

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992