▁defend ▁member ▁states ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁crisis , ▁reg ulate ▁state ▁behaviour , ▁facil itate ▁communication ▁and ▁create ▁common ▁security ▁interests ▁between ▁member ▁states . ▁ ▁The ▁argument ▁about ▁trade ▁and ▁conflict ▁ ▁The ▁relationship ▁between ▁international ▁trade ▁and ▁conflict ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁controvers y ▁among ▁international ▁relations ▁sch ol ars . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁argue ▁that ▁trade ▁does ▁not ▁reduce ▁conflict ▁even ▁though ▁conflict ▁reduces ▁trade ; ▁while ▁others ▁report ▁that ▁international ▁trade ▁fost ers ▁a ▁peace ful ▁disposition ▁among ▁states , ▁which ▁are ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁resort ▁to ▁armed ▁conflict ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁crisis . ▁ ▁The ▁argument ▁that ▁open ▁trade ▁in hib its ▁conflict ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁classical ▁liberal ▁movement ▁of ▁free ▁trade ▁and ▁world ▁peace . ▁This ▁view ▁arg ues ▁that ▁increasing ▁interaction ▁among ▁trad ers ▁and ▁consum ers ▁( inter dep end ence ) ▁prom otes ▁peace ; ▁free ▁trade ▁fost ers ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁international ▁community ▁that ▁reduce ▁inter state ▁conflict ▁and ▁t ensions . ▁Liber als ▁posit ▁that ▁free ▁mark ets ▁and ▁economic ▁development ▁contribute ▁to ▁a ▁reduction ▁in ▁inter state ▁conflict . ▁The ▁contrast ing ▁contemporary ▁view ▁is ▁that ▁open ▁trade ▁d amp ens ▁political ▁conflict ▁by ▁prom oting ▁economic ▁dependence . ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁dependence ▁has ▁negative ▁consequences ▁for ▁inter state ▁conflict . ▁Albert ▁O . ▁Hir sch man ▁( 1 9 4 5 ) ▁ ▁for ▁example , ▁has ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁“ g ains ▁from ▁trade ▁do ▁not ▁acc r ue ▁to ▁states ▁proportion ately ▁and ▁the