ABSTRACT
From the perspective of political economy, technology is a fourth and possibly now the
most important of the factors of production; and the capacity to produce it equals power.
It follows that the development and exploitation of technology tends to change power
relationships, whether these are social, economic, political, or military. In this chapter the
focus will be on certain of the more international aspects of political and economic power
relationships affected by technology. A quotation from a standard textbook will serve
conveniently to-ground what follows in the mainstream of the international relations
literature. Thus Holsti (1974), discussing the current predominant indicators of
international status, observes that Today the primary standard of judgement is technology
and all the material things that derive from its application to economic activity’. This
Holsti subsequently qualifies, but only slightly; his basic conclusion is really now too commonplace to prompt much dissent.
