The same is true for groups of peop

The same is true for groups of people, including countries.
In the international arena, governments frequently pursue their national interest by entering into mutually agreeable “ deals” with other governments. Social scientists call these types of arrangements “ exchange” (i.e.., each side gives up something its value in order to gain something in return that its values even more). On an economic level, it functions like this: “ I have the oil that you need and am willing to sell it. In return I want to buy from you the agricultural products that I lack”. Whether on the governmental level or the personal level (“ If you help me with my homework, then I will drive you home this weekend”), exchanges are the process used by most individuals and groups to obtain and protect what is of value. The exchange process, however, can break down. When threats and punishment replace mutual exchanges, conflict ensues. Neither side benefits and there are cost to both. Further, each may use threats with the expectation that the other will capitulate. But if efforts at intimidation and coercion fail, the conflict may escalate into violent confrontation.
With the end of the cold war, issues of national security and the nature of international conflict have changed. In the late 1980s agreements between the former Soviet Union and the States led to the elimination of superpower support for participants in low-intensity conflicts in Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Fighting the cold war by proxy is now a thing of past. In addition, cold war military alliances have either collapsed or have been significantly redefined. despite