Size--does it matter?

As we go into the second half of this module I wonder: if it is socially acceptable to outsource aid work, is it then acceptable to outsource economic planning and security? There is almost a universal acceptance of the vast web of aid groups who provide basic services to a wide swath of humanity; and there is no disputing that they are doing fantastic work which would otherwise mean the death of millions. However, does their work undermine a central government? If one of government’s roles is to provide basic services to its population (along with protecting that population from internal and external harm); does the external provision of those services detract from a state’s authority and autonomy?

I ask this not to de-legitimize the aid workers but to question whether our discourse on private military organizations (from a couple weeks back), and our discussion of global companies is missing the point. And that point is: there are a wide range of emerging international entities which provide services once thought to be core state functions; however, much as radio undermined a naval captain’s autonomy, but gave him far more capability, do these international entities serve as ‘force multipliers’. Put another way, do these international entities, whether it be ExxonMobil or the Red Cross, provide states with enough in the way of additional capability and resources to offset what we traditionally think of as losses in authority and autonomy?   

               

  As I think about this question I wonder if it is a question of scale. If a country like Moldova is dealing with ExxonMobil, its interactions will be very different than if it deals with the Red Cross, both because of the economic and political weight behind the two different international entities, but also because of the disparity between Moldova’s power relative to those two entities. So then, maybe smaller countries can be overwhelmed by large economic actors, but are much less likely to be taken advantage of by either smaller economic entities or aid groups. I’m still not sure, and maybe we will talk more about this tomorrow.