The role of the military has changed significantly since World War II. Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye argue that military security no longer dominates the “agenda of interstate relationships.” While I agree that large scale military mobilization is no longer practical because of complex interdependence between nations. However, the threat of military force is still used by nations’ to achieve their agendas, and in some cases military action is even used. In the 21st century, military action is covert and involves small scale operations through modern technology like Drone strikes. Now we have the ability to kill our enemies and those who oppose global capitalism from the comfort of a desk. Not only that, the United States has armed servicemen deployed in 75% of the world. That is why I strongly disagree with Keohane and Nye when they say that force is not the way to achieve economic welfare. The United States has continuously employed the use of force to achieve their agenda. The military is still an effective tool used by the core nations to bully the periphery in to undertaking actions that are advantageous to the dominant nation. For example, recent military actions in the Middle East are most definitely linked to the United States’ desire to secure oil resources in the region. Islamic extremists are seen not only as a danger to the American people, but also a threat that could disrupt and cut off our supplies to foreign oil sources. The ‘War on Terror’ is a result of globalization because of the idea of interdependence. The United States relies on other nations’ to supply a good portion of our energy and as a nation is reliant on countries across the world. The country has a vested interest in what happens in the countries that produce our oil. While the military is no longer used to invade and conquer, it still plays a large role in determining power structures and relationships between nation states. Today the military is used to manage and control rather than conquering and subjugating.
