International Stability

Introduction
The past 25 years of decision making has led to our current state of relative peace.   Aside from turmoil in the Middle East, the rest of the world is enjoying peace outside of its own borders.   No threats, no worries, no great military engagements; the world has become a place of warring indifference.   Interstate and intrastate wars have both significantly declined in the last 25 years and there is also a great rise of trade in the global network (Liberalism, January 14, 2010).   Countries are beginning to realize that having economic and social stability is far more important than engaging in unnecessary wars with others.   With that in mind, we must beg the question: what will decision makers do in the next 25 years to not only stabilize, but strengthen international peace?   Through critical analysis of the Liberalist point of view, the goal of this paper will be to determine what decisions must be made, based on Liberal principles, to stabilize the international network.   This will be developed through the idea of complex interdependence and the importance of rights and freedoms, democracy and global economy in a 21st century world.   The evaluation of Liberalist principles will begin with the term coined by Keohane and Nye: complex interdependence.
Complex Interdependence
Interdependence in international relations has several key characteristics that help describe the nature of Liberalism in our world.   The availability of multiple channels in a society broadens the ability for foreign affairs to be interrelated with domestic affairs.   Large foreign companies are finding ways to implicate themselves in domestic economies which forces domestic policies to take into consideration foreign policies.   Also, the absence of hierarchy amongst issues is vital in order to understand complex interdependence.   The old major issues such as war and territory are on par with other issues such as economy and environment.   Finally, the minor role of the military is...