Külpolitika - A Magyar Külügyi Intézet elméleti-politikai folyóirata - 1985 (12. évfolyam)
1985 / 1. szám - KÖNYVEKRŐL - Kolos Miklós: Timothy W.Stanley - Ronald I. Danielian - Samuel M. Rosenblatt: Az Egyesült Államok külgazdasági stratégiája a nyolcvanas évekre
liker Ptlénkai Some Question* of Economic Warfare From the 1970s on we have been witnesses of the strengthening of warlike tendencies in the world economy. These (primarily in East- West relations, the object of our investigation) were in connection with the world economic crisis and the reversal of the process of detente in world politics. Economic warfare in international relations can be considered a specific and abnormal condition. It is the result of an intervention motivated by politics, and this must be investigated separately from the regulations that occur in everyday economic policy and which concern foreign economy and international relations. Economic war is the Consequence of conscious decisions and actions, its aim is to purposefully create economic damage and confusion. The direct political aims are thus detached from the indirect economic ones. The direct economic objectives (to cause damage, to create confusion and unrest, to influence internal processes, to maintain and increase dependence, or to disrupt the unity of a given community) are essentially always politically motivated. The different types of economic conflicts that occur in our age can be divided into direct economic (“warm”) wars and “cold” wars. Economic “warm” wars are the traditional direct forms and means of restricting econo/ mic relations and of creating damage. Among these a detailed description is given of the means resorted to by trade policy, technology, financial and credit policy, and other sectors. Economic “cold” war holds back and hinders the development of the productive forces in economic relations and the rational division of labour. Damage is primarily indirect and is mainly manifest in the giving up of the realization of advantages. Economic cold war makes use of direct and covert discrimination, urges arms buildup based on economic considerations, and desists from resolvjng and refuses to deal with global problems of world economy. We reject economic wars not only on the basis of simple reason and efficiency, but also on the basis of wider world economic and international political considerations. The events of recent decades stand to prove that the efficiency of economic wars is low, and, presumably, they in general miss their targets. Economic war at a time of intensive economic relations and mutual dependence is a double-edged weapon, and its impact on its users can often be more, serious. This is the reason why the measures taken prove to be “insufficient” (because of the diversity of interests of both the partners and the transnational companies). Economic wars are increasingly becoming self-destructive and senseless, endangering world peace in their final bearing. Peace strategies in a wide sense must include actions against economic warfare. VI
