The Rise Of The Virtual State Wealth And Power In The Coming Century
Anticipating a different model for the world in the next century, Rosecrance, a political scientist at UCLA, sets down in advance the basic principles that will govern it. He uses simple observations and logic to paint a picture of an emerging world in which ownership of land will be less important than control over processes and services, a profound difference from the system that has dominated throughout history. Since control of land has always meant control of natural resources and thus wealth, land has been the principal focus of war. This shift away from the value of land, should, the author claims, lead to fewer violent conflicts. He predicts a lighter, more fluid system of economic intermingling among countries, as well as various forms of transnational cooperation. The "virtual state" is one in which territory is no longer the prime focus of national identity. Among countries that are moving in the direction of the virtual state, Japan and Korea are relocating production abroad and retaining services at home. Switzerland is the most virtual state in Europe, he claims. Rosecrance presents an optimistic picture ("the world is making steady progress toward peace and economic security"), but he is not so much visionary as practical, seeing a real-world model for the virtual state: the multinational corporation. This analysis will likely stand up well as a grand preliminary testament to the changing nature of civilization. Illus., tables, charts, graphs. (Nov.)Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.