"Globalization, far from putting an end to power diplomacy between States, has, on the contrary, intensified it"
About this Quote
Globalization was sold as a solvent: trade would melt borders, interdependence would tame old-fashioned rivalries, and the invisible hand would replace the mailed fist. Omar Bongo punctures that consoling story with a realist’s shrug. Power politics didn’t vanish; it just got new instruments, more venues, and higher stakes.
The line’s intent is defensive and diagnostic at once. As a long-serving head of state in a strategically valuable, resource-rich country, Bongo understood how “integration” often means exposure. Global markets don’t distribute leverage evenly; they reward whoever controls capital, technology, shipping lanes, standards, and the narrative of “good governance.” Under globalization, diplomacy isn’t less about power - it’s more densely wired into finance, energy contracts, security cooperation, and the conditionalities of aid. The battleground migrates from borders to boardrooms, from overt coercion to what looks like partnership until the terms are read closely.
The subtext is a warning to smaller or mid-sized states: don’t mistake connectedness for protection. Globalization multiplies suitors, but also increases the pressure to choose patrons, to bargain under scrutiny, to manage external expectations that can be weaponized. It also gestures at the hypocrisy of a world that talks in the language of free flows while practicing gatekeeping through visas, sanctions, credit ratings, and “rules-based” exceptions.
Context matters: Bongo’s era spans decolonization’s aftermath, Cold War clientelism, and the rise of neoliberal globalization. His point is that the stage got bigger; the script stayed the same.
The line’s intent is defensive and diagnostic at once. As a long-serving head of state in a strategically valuable, resource-rich country, Bongo understood how “integration” often means exposure. Global markets don’t distribute leverage evenly; they reward whoever controls capital, technology, shipping lanes, standards, and the narrative of “good governance.” Under globalization, diplomacy isn’t less about power - it’s more densely wired into finance, energy contracts, security cooperation, and the conditionalities of aid. The battleground migrates from borders to boardrooms, from overt coercion to what looks like partnership until the terms are read closely.
The subtext is a warning to smaller or mid-sized states: don’t mistake connectedness for protection. Globalization multiplies suitors, but also increases the pressure to choose patrons, to bargain under scrutiny, to manage external expectations that can be weaponized. It also gestures at the hypocrisy of a world that talks in the language of free flows while practicing gatekeeping through visas, sanctions, credit ratings, and “rules-based” exceptions.
Context matters: Bongo’s era spans decolonization’s aftermath, Cold War clientelism, and the rise of neoliberal globalization. His point is that the stage got bigger; the script stayed the same.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
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