Astropolitik or The Social Construction of Free Trade

Astropolitik

Author: Everett Dolman

This volume identifies and evaluates the relationship between outer-space geography and geographic position (astrogeography), and the evolution of current and future military space strategy. In doing so, it explores five primary propositions. First, many classical geopolitical theories of military development are fully compatible with the realm of outer space. Second, how geographical position relates to new technology. Such evolution has developed through sea, rail and air power. Space power is the logical and apparent heir. Third, the special terrain of solar space dictates specific tactics and strategies for efficient exploitation of space resources. Fourth, the concept of space as a power base in classical, geopolitical thought will easily conform to the use of outer space as an ultimate national power base. Finally, a thorough understanding of the astromechanical and physical demarcations of outer space can prove useful to planners, and will prove critical to military strategists in the future. Anoptimum deployment of space assets will be essential on the current terrestrial and future-based battlefield.

Books about: Fundamentals of Food Process Engineering or Meeting Management

The Social Construction of Free Trade: The European Union, NAFTA, and Mercosur

Author: Francesco G Duina

This book offers a compelling new interpretation of the proliferation of regional trade agreements (RTAs) at the end of the twentieth century. Challenging the widespread assumption that RTAs should be seen as fundamentally similar economic initiatives to pursue free trade, Francesco Duina proposes that the world is reorganizing itself into regions that are highly distinctive and enduring. With evidence from Europe, North America, and South America, he challenges our understanding of globalization, the nature of markets, and the spread of neoliberalism.

The pursuit of free trade is a profoundly social process and, as such, a unique endeavor wherever it takes place. In an unprecedented comparative analysis, the book offers striking evidence of differences in the legal architectures erected to standardize the worldview of market participants and the reaction of key societal organizations--interest groups, businesses, and national administrations--to a broader marketplace. The author gives special attention to developments in three key areas of economic life: women in the workplace, the dairy industry, and labor rights. With its bold and original approach and its impressive range of data, The Social Construction of Free Trade represents a major advance in the growing fields of economic sociology and comparative regional integration.

Table of Contents:

List of Figures and Tables     ix
A Note on Translations     xi
Acknowledgments     xiii
Abbreviations     xvii
Introduction and Theoretical Framework
Visions of Free Trade     3
Institutions, Politics, and the Making of Regional Markets     29
The Evolution of Law and Society in the EU, Mercosur, and NAFTA
The Use of Regional Law to Standardize Reality     63
The Targets and Content of Regional Law     101
Societal Adjustments to Integration     148
Conclusion
Reflections on the Present and Future     185
Appendix     211
References     217
Index     241