GLOBAL TRANSPARENCY KRISTIN M. LORD The Perils and Promise of The Perils and Promise of WHY THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION MAY NOT LEAD TO SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, OR PEACE The Perils and Promise of Global Transparency SUNY series in Global Politics James N. Rosenau, editor A complete listing of books in this series can be found at the end of this volume. The Perils and Promise of Global Transparency Why the Information Revolution May Not Lead to Security, Democracy, or Peace Kristin M. Lord _________ _________ State University of New York Press Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2006 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384 Cover photo © iStockphoto.com/Vladimir Pomortsev Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Anne M. Valentine Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lord, Kristin M. The perils and promise of global transparency : why the information revolution may not lead to security, democracy, or peace / Kristin M. Lord. p. cm. — (SUNY series in global politics) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN–13: 978–0–7914–6885–2 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN–10: 0–7914–6885–2 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN–13: 978–0–7914–6886–9 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN–10: 0–7914–6886–0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Transparency in government. 2. Freedom of information. 3. Information society. 4. World politics—21st century. I. Title. II. Series. JC598.L67 2006 303.48 Ј33—dc22 2005033342 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Jeff and Max This page intentionally left blank. Contents ____________________ Preface ix Chapter 1 The Complexity of Transparency 1 Chapter 2 Transparency and Conflict 23 Chapter 3 Transparency and Intergroup Violence 45 Chapter 4 Transparency and Conflict Intervention 69 Chapter 5 Transparency and Governance 91 Chapter 6 Global Implications of Growing Transparency 115 Notes 133 Index 189 SUNY Series in Global Politics 195 vii This page intentionally left blank. Preface ____________________ I owe a great deal of thanks to many people. For commenting on early drafts of the manuscript—the most painful to read—I thank Robin Brown of the University of Leeds, who also was kind enough to host a helpful seminar with his students. I would also like to thank George Washington University student Lee Ann Fujii for her help on the Rwanda case study (and for taking the time to read the chapter while actually in Rwanda doing fieldwork); an anonymous journalist from Singapore for help on the Singapore case; Jonathan Frankel for helping me to understand American and foreign free speech laws; Christopher Langton for background information on the Institute for International Studies’ excellent publication, The Military Balance; Loch Johnson, who provided encouragement at a difficult time; former congressperson Steve Solarz, who has devoted much of his career to understanding and resolv- ing conflicts; and Serif Turgut, who herself has reported on some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts and understands all too well the forces that limit media coverage. I owe a special thanks to my mother, Jean DeBarbieri, a professional indexer whose careful handiwork can be seen at the end of this book. I am also indebted to my wonderful colleagues at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Martha Finnemore, James Lebovic, Henry Farrell, Leon Fuerth, and Joanna Spear all read and commented on various chapters. Their input was invaluable. Thanks also to Jim Goldgeier who generously spent significant time one afternoon to help me rethink the book’s conclusion. Students in the mid- career Master of International Policy and Practice program provided excellent feedback and questions that made me rethink my manuscript at various times. Thanks also to undergraduates in my causes of war course who discussed the manuscript in class. I am also indebted to my colleagues in the Elliott School dean’s office, especially Ed McCord, for their sup- port. I am deeply thankful to my former boss, Harry Harding, from whom I have learned and continue to learn, a tremendous amount. I must offer a special thanks to Bernard Finel, who not only read and commented on parts of this book, but helped spark my interest in transparency to start with, and served as my coauthor on several papers ix [...]... dissemination of information across borders The 6 The Perils and Promise of Global Transparency latter is not an organization but a tool used by individuals or groups of individuals to disseminate information Information and communication technologies have no agenda; they are neutral transmitters of content Just as paper may be blank or printed and may be used to transmit all sorts of messages, information. .. because of greater transparency is excellent and unbiased, we may not interpret it accurately We may fail to recognize important information amid the “noise” of constant information streams or we may fail to recognize its implications.47 12 The Perils and Promise of Global Transparency Three key factors affect the ability of people to recognize important information when they see it First, correct interpretation... Gaza, and Indonesia Protests in Afghanistan spread to several towns and turned violent, leading to the deaths of seventeen people and injuries of over one hundred more Though there are numerous credible reports of other cases of Koran desecration, the Newsweek story appears to be false.10 These events show two faces of rising global transparency, the increasing availability of information around the world... the rise of global transparency: the spread of democratic governments, the rise of the global media, the spread of nongovernmental organizations, the proliferation of international regimes requiring governments to disclose information, and the widespread availability of information technologies Of these five factors, the first four involve governments or organizations whose actions lead to the dissemination... as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Convention for the Protection of the Sea from Ships (MARPOL), and the United Nations Register on Conventional Arms, often require their members to disclose a wealth of information to each other and to the global public.29 Though they are more likely to require participants to disclose information on issues for which there... technologies are not themselves information providers These five factors can be mutually reinforcing, with each factor enhancing the power of the others to further increase transparency To give some examples, information and communication technologies make it possible for nongovernmental organizations to disseminate information International organizations publicize information that is reported by the media,... people are more likely to recognize important signals if they work in an environment that rewards correct appraisal and that does not punish people for coming up with the “wrong” answer.49 Though the first factor may seem to be the most important, controlled laboratory tests show that information overload is less important than the second and third factors.50 Humans filter information through their own... outsiders (often NGOs) to identify trouble spots and to encourage governments or international organizations to intervene before conflicts get out of hand Greater transparency also makes foreign conflicts more visible to the world and therefore harder to ignore In an example of the so-called CNN effect, people who watch scenes of horrible violence on their televisions may pressure their politicians to intervene... Commission to the World Trade Organization, or the effects of transparency on negotiations Instead, this book focuses on broad issues of security and governance and on the transparency of national governments to their citizens, to transnational organizations, and to one another The reason for this choice is that sovereign states and their governments remain the single most powerful actors in international... other states’ military capabilities can lead them to fight wars they would otherwise avoid Clarity about the distribution of state power should lead to peace, according to some scholars, because states typically fight wars only when they think they can win.9 Leaders weigh the costs and benefits of using force and attack when the costs are low relative to the rewards.10 When they have accurate information . GLOBAL TRANSPARENCY KRISTIN M. LORD The Perils and Promise of The Perils and Promise of WHY THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION MAY NOT LEAD TO SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, OR PEACE The Perils and Promise of Global. of Global Transparency Why the Information Revolution May Not Lead to Security, Democracy, or Peace Kristin M. Lord _________ _________ State University of New York Press Published by State University. availability of information technologies. Of these five factors, the first four involve governments or organizations whose actions lead to the dissemination of information across borders. The The Complexity