behaviour. l'lutual suspicions tend to prejudice the real impl-ications ofnon-nilitary events rrith a view to accentuating or elirnlnting uncertainty arnong all.ies and adversaries. It is this environrnent which leads to the creation of spheres of influence' in which local conflicts tend to become llnked to regional orglobal confrontations, and ln which social and political develoFnents are like1y to be resisted if tbey seen to call existing alignments into question. The frlctions arislng from this rigidity, at a time when the relatlve econonic, political andmilitary greight of countries are changing nore rapidly than ever, are thenselves possible sources of confl ict. 124. A political cl-inate held captive to military preparedness is hardly conduciveto aldtenle. Indeed, a nost disturbing feature of the period under revievr has been the fragility of d6tente. Not only the health but the very survival of d6tente depends increasingly on neaningful steps towards d isarnanent, particularly in the nuclear field. AJ.so, d6tente confined to the developed countries alone is extrenely vulnerable and it needs to be universally applicable. Ddtente andnilitary build-ups cannot go hand in hand. Heavier, rather than lolrer nilitary build-ups among the various confllct-ridden regions in the world nlll heighten therisks of military escalation and reduce the posslbilties of d6tente anong the developing countries. The great preponderance of military povrer as possessed by scme of the major industrialized countries, and as is perhaps emerging in sorne regional contexts, rnay lead countries to adopt ultimative and rigid policiesvis-i-vis other countries or to the use of force, the threat of force or s irnply an ffi:i:r' Page 5 7 ostensible display of force. As a result of the arms race, fear and susPicion are generated among some axes, but along others, special favoured relationships devetop. In sonE cases, these are no less confl ict-promoting and no less
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the relationship between military build-ups and international relations, highlighting the dangers of an arms race and the importance of disarmament for global stability and peace. It also touches on the topic of spheres of influence and the fragility of détente. The text does not explicitly mention any of the traditional economic or social development issues, but rather focuses on the political and military aspects of international relations.

**Category**
International relations, Politics