The Price of Prestige

54 chapter two

In contrast, peacekeeping forces have proven to be a poor test of sta­

tus because they do not impose significant intrinsic and cultivation restric­

tions. Participating in peacekeeping forces is relatively cheap and can of­

ten even be profitable. The profusion of international crises ensures that

there is constant demand for more peacekeepers, thus removing natural

restrictions on entry. Hence, participating in peacekeeping forces, as ar­

gued in chapter 4 , failed to serve as an effective status symbol. Poor tests

of status can lead to flattened hierarchies and increased mobility. Conse­

quently, there has been a sharp decline in middle­ power participation in

peacekeeping operations — as a poor status symbol it is not an attractive

venue for conspicuous consumption.

Finally, Big Science is an especially appealing luxury good: it is distinct,

expensive, and is the quintessential symbol of modernity. Many Big Science

projects are susceptible to natural restrictions, mainly as a result of scarcity

of resources, expertise, and human capital. Moreover, Big Science requires

an infrastructure, scientific and industrial, that takes decades to cultivate.

No one can develop Big Science overnight. Indeed, as chapter 5 demon­

strates, Big Science is a very stable status symbol. It maintains its allure even

in the face of significant geostrategic and /or technological changes.