652 



sions as we'l as offering solutions to global problems. It has required 

 study by international bodies, international exchange of information, 

 negotiation to resolve new issues, and an awareness of the A^alue of 

 cooperation among governments as well as among peoples. 



Even the primarily domestic aspect of tec-hnological infrastruc- 

 ture is found to have significant international aspects. Programs in 

 technical assistance, international activities in education and health, 

 exchange of technical information about transportation, counnunica- 

 tions and power, all provide a basis for closer relations among gov- 

 ernments and individuals. 



Some aspects of infrastnicture are themselves taking on an inter- 

 national character, such as air transportation and satellite communica- 

 tions. These can serve both to help and hinder the work of the diplo- 

 mat: While information can now be transmitted virtually instantane- 

 ously, to facilitate long-range bargaining, the time available for deci- 

 sion-making has decreased. The traditional conduct of secret, official 

 diplomacy tends to be nullified by radio and television propaganda 

 and by educational, cultural, and scientific exchanges. Swift transit of 

 trouble-shooting negotiators to points of tension by air transport or 

 for consultation with national leaders is counteracted by the ability of 

 trouble-makers and dissident groups to use these same means of travel. 



It seems evident that modern diplomats and policy-makers re- 

 quire special training in understanding and using technolog}^, and in 

 "formulating plans that involve the new uses or development of new 

 kinds of technology. Parliaments are called upon to evaluate and ap- 

 prove agreements and treaties with a technological content. New in- 

 formation is needed for assessing the relationship between technologi- 

 cal information and practical politics. 



IV. The Internationalization or Technology 



The preceding section (III) demonstrated a consistent series of 

 trends in nuclear weaponry and atomic power, space development, 

 agriculture, and technological infrastructure. In each case, the evolv- 

 ing teclinology generated problems for diplomacy, postulated inter- 

 national enterprises, attracted international interest, and implied a 

 need for the design of a U.S. policy to ensure that the de\'elopment 

 and its international consequences served U.S. foreign policy goals. 



The question to be explored in the rest of the chapter is whether 

 future technology can be purposefully exploited to serve the purposes 

 of diplomacy. The discussion in this section will describe the processes 

 by which technology becomes internationalized, i.e., managed and 

 applied internationally. The concluding section will identify some of 

 the major issues in the use of international technology to advance the 

 foreign policy of the United States. 



Assessment of National and International Technology 



Since 1966, numerous articles and papers have offered proposals for 

 institutions to monitor and control the imperfections of modern tech- 

 nology .^° There are many notions as to the definition and solution of 



*' U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics. "Teclinology Assess- 

 ment : Annotated Bibliography and Inventory of Congressional Organization for Science 

 and Technology." Prepared for the Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Development, 

 91st Congress, second session. July 15, 1970. (Washington, U.S. Government Printing 

 Office, 1970), 92 pages. [Committee Print.] 



