apparent in the contested nature of standing. Traditionally, it has been on the basis of
military power, and the United States currently asserts its primacy on this basis. Other
criteria for standing have been articulated, most notably by Canada and some of the states
within the European Union. To the extent that this controversy is resolved in favor of
one or more of the alternative conceptions, it will have profound consequences for the
identities of actors and the goals and means of their foreign policies.
Chapter Twelve speculates about the distant future. What would the progression
from a interest-based to a spirit-based world look like? Under what conditions would
such a world emerge? What kinds of indices would help us track this transition? What
would it consequences be for international politics? Past transitions, while not dependent
on technology, have nevertheless been influenced by developments in science and
engineering and the news ways of thinking that both resulted and made such
developments possible. The next likely technological transformation will be the result of
the combined and synergistic effects of information-processing, nano- and biotechnology.
We may develop the capability to re-engineer ourselves and extend longevity and the
quality of life by maintaining, even improving, our senses, mobility and performance.
Such developments will, at least at first, only be available to the wealthy, and will have
profound implications for balance at the individual and social levels. They have the
potential to transform politics in ways we can only begin to guess at.
CHAPTER THREE
FEAR, INTEREST AND HONOR
And the nature of the case first compelled us to advance our empire to its
present height; fear being our principal motive, though honor and interest
afterwards came in.
- - Athenian speakers to the Spartan assembly
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Convention