Globalization and international economic relations, in light of Alfred Mahan's proposal

Abstract

The article, as part of a wider investigation, discusses the importance of Alfred Mahan as ideologue of the theories which say, those who control the seas control the world. The theme has distinct variations and contains multiple focuses, depending on the specialties of those who analyze or investigate. This segment in the camp of Mahan seeks to be provocative and does so from the perspective of economy and geography, since it is conscious of the importance of oceans as means of moving the goods required by international commerce in this globalized world.

Considering the geopolitical perspective, some authors such as Giudice contend that the focus of Mahan has been overtaken by other currents that highlight air power or land power. Nevertheless, and under the vision of international relations, this essay examines the focus of Mahan to see if it serves us to understand the dominion of the seas by enterprises that realize international commerce from vessels with flags or owners of companies in the developed world. The exposition of this work derives, although preliminarily, in thinking of a Mahan present and adapted to the global world, characterized by a state of flux, under a conception of the economic world of Braudel, and taking into account the contributions of other authors whose arguments are founded, as previously stated, in the geography of transport.

In summary and under the phenomenon of economic concentration and polarization Velts studies, only a few companies from the United States, Japan, China, and parts of Europe are owners of the ships that count as actors dominating concrete maritime routes, continuing to operate the commerce of containers and maintaining concrete interests in the principal ports of the world. The thesis of Mahan, as above stated, would be continued in force.