7.2B - Indirect Control
Multi-faceted, indirect control (political, economic, military, cultural) including neo-colonial mechanisms has become more important (Cold War era; emergence of China as a potential rival to the USA's hegemony)
Even during the imperial era, there was a limited attempt to control colonies using power mechanisms other than the military. In British India, English culture was encouraged, at least among wealthy Indians. This included English schools and language, competitive sport (cricket) and dress.
Today, no superpower or emerging power has a significant empire - although Russian-controlled parts of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova are a mini-empire - so control of other places and people has to be indirect.
Political
- Dominance in international decision making within the United Nations, G7, World Trade Organisation and others
- Some countries have disproportionate influence
- The threat of large, powerful armed forces with global reach
- Selective arms trading that provides weapons to key allies, but not enemies
- The use of trade deals and trade blocs to create economic alliances that create interdependence between like-minded countries
- The use of global media (TV, film, music), arts, culture, and global TNC brands to spread the ideology (beliefs, ideas and values - e.g. democracy, capitalism and freedom) and values of a country through consumer culture.
Indirect power became important during the Cold War era 1945-1990. The USA and USSR sought allies among other countries as part of the USA-led 'West' or USSR-led 'East'. This included:
- military alliances, e.g. USA (NATO) and the USSR (Warsaw Pact)
- foreign aid as a way to 'buy' support from developing and emerging nations
- support for corrupt and undemocratic regimes in the developing world, in return for their support for the superpower
Some geographers have argued that Western nations continue to control their ex-colonies in the developing world through an indirect mechanism called neo-colonialism, which includes:
- a debt-aid relationship, developing countries owe money for past loans to developed countries, but their poverty means they also depend on the hand-outs of foreign aid
- poor terms of trade: developing countries export low value commodities (tea, copper, cocoa) but have to import expensive manufactured goods from developed countries
- the loss of their brightest and most productive people, who tend to migrate to developed countries if they can
The rise of China as an emerging power since 2000 has led to it being accused of neo-colonial actions in Africa. In addition, it is challenging the hegemony of the USA and former colonial powers (France and Britain) there.