U.S. State Department and U.S. Marine Corps: Partners for the 21st Century -- Using Embassies as Advanced Bases for Information

摘要

From its very beginning, the United States' interest in foreign affairs has expanded in direct proportion to the growth of commerce and industry. Mercantile interests grew to such an extent by the beginning of this century that the United States pursued a quasi-imperialist foreign policy manifesting itself most clearly during the Spanish-American War. A key security imperative for all major mercantile powers of this time was freedom of navigation, and a prerequisite for such access was the availability of coaling stations for replenishment of the new merchant steamships and the latest warship -- the dreadnought. Thus, the prevailing technology of the day required a global network of coaling stations to assure global access. Similarly, today's global economy fueled by information technology also requires global access. In many ways, today's need for unhindered exchange of information is analogous to the imperative for freedom of navigation at the beginning of this century.