An Improvement Over Classical Realism Politics Essay

An Improvement Over Classical Realism Politics Essay The neorealist theory of international relations has dominated world politics in the past century. It depicts an anarchic world where states are compelled to act in a certain manner because they are part of an anarchic international system. Although neorealism provides an appealing exposà © for the study of international relations and perceives itself to be an improvement over classical realism, it raises more questions than the answers it provides as I will show throughout this essay. Classical Realists believe that states are the main actors in international relations and they are power maximizers. As Hans Morgenthau, explains in Politics Among Nations, in a world where anarchy is the abiding principle, states will struggle for power because they are managed by policy makers and such is the nature of men. Other institutions and organizations are considered to play a small role but only within a state centric framework. States define international order as anarchic because there is no central government to quell mens search for power and their thirst to dominate others. In this eternal struggle peace is achieved through the balance of power, where states try to prevent one state from dominating all the others.  [1]   During the Cold War a new variant of Morgenthaus theory appeared under the name of neorealism. The theoretical approach to international politics proposed by Waltz stresses the importance of structure and draws its arguments by applying an economic perspective to international relations. An approach Waltz claims to be more scientific than the one of Morgenthau and classical realism,which he considers to be reductionist. He argues so because it focuses on the subjective decisions of policy makers, and their search for power, as key in shaping the international system. A perspective that excludes the possibility of a structural analysis where the system is perceived to be independent and therefore plays an active role in determining state behaviour.  [2]   In a world still perceived to be anarchic, Waltz separates the internal circumstances of states from the external ones and claims that the international system is autonomous and acts as a whole. International order is shaped by a global structure, which is created by the interaction of states and then forces them into a certain modus operandi.  [3]  Whereas in Morgenthau the analysis of world politics focused on his negative view of human nature that compelled statesmen in an eternal search for power  [4]  , Waltz emphasizes the importance of the system in directing their actions. The introduction of the third image systemic analysis as the most important perspective to look at international politics is defined by three ordering principles: anarchy, the function of units and the distribution of capabilities.  [5]  Anarchy for neorealists is slightly different than for classical realists. As Shimko notes it, if for Morgenthau anarchy was important but merely circumstantial, for Waltz it is one of the defining elements of the system and acts as a causal force.  [6]  The concept of anarchy also differs in the sense that classical realists believe states search for power and most neorealists tend to advocate that states fight to survive. The outcome in both cases is an anarchic world but their origin is fundamentally different. The units that compose this anarchic system are deemed to be similar a perform similar actions in the international sphere and internal politics have no place in differentiating states. Although states perform the same functions they are distinguished from each other by their capabilities. The distribution of capabilities, seen mainly as military power, has the capacity to change the systemic order. As states military power changes so does the international system.  [7]   The ideas put forward by neorealists seem to provide an edge over classical realism, not only in the sense that they accommodate a more full fledged theory that, as Waltz points out, was not possible for classical realism;  [8]  but also because there is an evolution from the apparent subjective, intuitive and traditional views of Morgenthau to a more objective and scientific theorisation put forward by Waltz  [9]   Thus far it seems that neorealism was able to provide an answer to the flawed reasoning of classical realists but, a more thorough analysis shows something different. One of the key points where this stands out is in the concept of power. For Morgenthau statesmen act in terms of interest defined as power  [10]  . This idea of politics should not be seen as a limited short-term objective for states and policy makers but, as Rosenberg explains, that the actions and interactions of states need to be perceived as a response to a certain balance in the distribution of power.  [11]  As we have also seen, under Morgenthaus perspective, states strive for power a condition which, inevitably, generates a competition environment between the multiple actors. The only way to maintain international order in such an environment is through a balance of power where no one state or coalition is in position to dominate all the others.  [12]  However, this assumption implies, as Rosenberg ar gues, that we look at the international scene as nothing more than a collectivity of states and that the internal political sphere produces no effects in how states interact with each other. It is at this point that Morgenthaus argument becomes circular and loses some of its strength. If world politics deals only with security issues and power is seen only in terms of military capacity, the idea of politics as interest defined as power becomes undeniable.  [13]   Neorealism tries to answer this problematic with the introduction of the international system as the prime director of state behaviour. However, the mechanical structure introduced by Waltz only sees power as military capacity and fails to account for transnational power: the system continues to be a mere group of interacting states. Since for neorealists international politics only has to deal security issues, the argument becomes circular again in a sense that Waltzs structure is only applicable to a system that only regards power as military.  [14]   Despite the many proposed advances on classical realism, Neorealism also provides few changes as far as the concept of anarchy is concerned. It is true that it assumes a conducive role, in the international system, instead of a permissive one but no greater development is introduced in this area. Waltz sees the concept of anarchy in the international realm as the lack of a central power that can exercise force, the same way states exercise it inside their own internal sphere, which leads to a competitive environment among equal sovereign actors.  [15]  The problem with Waltzs concept of anarchy, as Milner argues, is that it collides with one of the ordering principles of his theory for the international system: the idea that a states capabilities are a differentiating factor.  [16]  If states have different capacities they do not compete on equal grounds and do not assume the same posture towards each other. Waltzs third ordering principle leads us to conclude that states per form different functions and that there is a separation between small powers and great powers, with the latter assuming a more important role. These differences suggest that the world cannot be seen as a perfect market where there is a competition between similar players but more like a monopolistic or oligopolistic one, where one or more units have risen above the rest.  [17]  As Milner concludes, these types of markets are characterized by instability, balance between the dominant actors and strategic interdependence, which seem to function more like the international system than perfect markets.  [18]  This different perspective provides a less narrow view of the international system and one that can provide additional areas of investigation. The idea of strategic interdependence suggests a more intricate network of communication between actors and is invariably dependent on norms and practices that need to be established not only in the international sphere but also at a national level. The excessive importance given to the ambiguous concept of anarchy leads neorealists to the radical separation between domestic and international politics  [19]  , which can be dangerous in such a state-centric theoretical approach to international relations. The idea of the state as an uncontested actor in international politics is one other that stands out in neorealist thought. Theory is centred on the state and it offers no reasoning for its formation. As Ashley puts it, for neorealists: The state must be treated as an unproblematic unity: an entity whose existence, boundaries, identifying structures, constituencies, legitimations, interests, and capacities to make self-regarding decisions can be treated as given, independent of transnational class and human interests, and undisputed (except perhaps by other states).  [20]   In this paradigm, states simply exist in the world of international relations, with no theoretical explanation for how or why they are formed; or why they are the sole actors of the international system. An assumption that for neorealists requires no defence but that is problematic because it draws away from their proposed objectivity. Despite criticising classical realisms traditional and conservative approach, neorealists seem not to mind the metaphysical commitment they make to the state-as-actor assumption that exempts it from scientific criticism  [21]   If in classical realism the notion of the state as the main actor in world politics was already problematic because it excludes the possibility of domestic and transnational institutions taking on a role in international relations (one need only to look at the September 11 attacks in the USA and the Arab Spring in the Middle East to recognize their importance) seen through the scope of neorealism the problematic extends even further. According to classical realism, raison detat is the guiding principle for state behaviour and the interests of statesmen, in international relations, are those that maximize the states power and influence, in order to preserve its health and strength  [22]  . Statesmen are encouraged to pursue their interest with respect towards the international order and with ethics and morals always under consideration. The reasoning of Meneicke suggests that the preservation of the state and its political structure ergo its identity play a role in defining it s behaviour, even if it is a slight one. In neorealism, the identity of the state is not taken into account in the proposed structuralist analysis. As Ruggie mentions, change at a unit level is unaccounted for.  [23]  Differentiation between states is only understood in relative terms states capabilities are only seen in relation to those of other states and, as we have seen before, power is measured in military capacity. Ashley picks up on Ruggies work and explains that his argument is not recognized by neorealists because the identity of the state is taken for granted and seen as unproblematic.  [24]  As Ruggie concludes: only structural change can produce systemic change  [25]  . In sum, even though units define the system, only an alteration in their relative capabilities can generate a change in the reigning structure. Internal change continues to play no role in this analysis. The state-as-actor problematic was one that was most emphasized with the failure of neorealism to predict and explain the end of the Cold War, one of the most important events in world politics of the last century. The work of Friedrich Kratochwil is very helpful in understanding this failure as he points to three different areas where neorealism was embarrassed, mainly due to its incapacity to account for changes within the state, other than those that concern military capabilities.  [26]  If we look at the Soviet Unions military capacity before, during and one year after the events of the perestroika and the glasnost, we find that there was no decrease in the USSRs capabilities that could account for such a systemic change in the international realm as advocated by the structural analysis of neorealism. Defence spending did not increase in the 1980s and even if we accept the argument of economic pressure on the Soviet Union, there is no explanation in Waltzs theory for why and when such transformation occurred.  [27]  The dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany had all derived from a turning point in the Kremlins domestic politics, with change coming from inside the USSR rather than as the outcome of structural pressures on the country, as neorealists would suggest.  [28]  The third and last argument made by Kratochwil is that realist US foreign policy makers had already predicted that a change in the international system, that was in place during the Cold War, would only occur through domestic change.  [29]  Although neorealism portrayed itself as as more scientific perspective of international relations it failed where practice and experience were successful. The issue is also referred to by Ashley when he argues that neorealism denies the importance of practice, adding that people are reduced to some idealized homo oeconomicus, able only to carry out, but never to reflect critically on, the limited rational logic that the system demands of them.  [30]  Kratochwil argues that the events that took place in 1989/1990 are better explained by a legitimization crisis communism that made the Soviet Union look at Western Europe success in maintaining peace. The fall of the Berlin Wall and consequent reunification of Germany can, therefore, be perceived as a move that the USSR saw would serve its own security interests better than a Germany wandering between East and West.  [31]  Although these events cannot be comprehended through the systemic scope of neorealism, the interest approach of classical realists could have been able to predict such a move. I conclude that the neorealist systemic approach to international relations does indeed provide an additional analytical edge over classical realism in the sense that it introduces the systemic influence on state actors. However it focuses too much of its attention on the third image and disregards the actions of states and statesmen. Although classical realism cannot be seen as a credible theoretical alternative to neorealism because of the many flaws it contains, it does provide some insight in the first and second image analysis. As I have also demonstrated, neorealism chose not answer some of the more problematic issues in realist thought, such as the concepts of power and anarchy, and is still unable to provide a theoretical explanation for the state as the main actor approach. It is a small improvement over classical realism but one that needs further development in order not to repeat failures such as the incapacity to predict or explain the end of the Cold War.

My Values - Work, Family, and Friendship :: Personal Narrative, Personal Values

My Values - Work, Family, and Friendship Three important values that I hold, are hard work, family, and friendship. These are values that I think will make life better and easier for a person. They make me feel secure and prepared for the future. Without these values I probably wouldn't care about anything at all. My values were all influenced by my parents. The only one that I had to figure out mostly by myself, was to work as hard as I could. Hard work is something that I had to do in order to prove to myself that I was smart enough. It probably controls most of my life. I need to do everything right and get perfect grades to be satisfied, and so I'm always working as hard as I can. It sounds like a bad thing, but the hard work almost always pays off. Family is a value that my father taught me. He told me that family is the most important thing in life. Your family will always be there when you need them, and will love you no matter what you do. This is a great thing, because it gives me security and comfort. I know that the decisions that I make in life will be guided by people that care about the outcome, and if things don't work out they'll be there to do whatever they can to help me. You never have to put on a front with your relatives, they will almost always accept you for who you are. Another value that was influenced by my parents as well as television, is friendship. Even though your family is always there for you, friends are still very important to have. Having friends will usually raise a person's self- esteem. By having friends you know that you are a good person, and that people

What Makes Johnny Depp the Actor He Is?

John Christopher Depp, better known as Johnny Depp is leading American actor known for his versatile characters in a number of Hollywood films. He was born in Kentucky, was raised in Florida where his parents separated due to a divorce when he was only 16 years of age. He strayed away from his siblings and peers into a life of drugs and alcohol at a very young age as a result dropped out of school and wanted to pursue a career in rock music. Over the next few years Johnny fronted a number of garage bands including the Kids and Iggy Pop. Raising popularity and sense of achievement along with determination and hope for stardom inspired him to move to Los Angles along with his band. There he met and married Lori Allison who suggested that he should try his luck with acting and introduced him to Nicolas Cage. Depp made his film debut in A Nightmare on El Street and later did a popular TV serial named 21 Jump Street in which his role as an undercover cop was much appreciated. After this he did a number of teen oriented movies until his next big break came with the movie Edward Scissorhands which was directed by Tim Burton. The flick turned to be a huge success which gave Depp the reputation of a serious, dark and idiosyncratic performer selecting future roles which surprised critics and audiences as the roles were very odd and unusal. Depp has been extremely in consistent with his relationships as he divorced Lori Allsion and was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn who was his co star in one of the films. He then had a series of love interests which include Jennifer Gray and costar Winona Ryder. Later he went on to date a leading British model Kate Moss and then finally leaving her to settle down with Venessa Paradis along with his two children, Lily and Jack in Paris, France. During his career Johnny has been a number of accusations which bought him into the public eye, first of which was the use and selling to drugs in 1993 and then the following year he was accused of trashing and smashing of a suite in New York. In 1999 he was arrested for beating paparazzi outside a restaurant in London. As a child he was engaged in self harm as explained by him in an interview in 1993 where he recollected that family problems and a sense of insecurity led him to inflict wound to his body. However, there may be a lot of ups and downs in his private life on screen Depp developed himself as an incredible actor. During the 90’s he was able to deliver hit after hit on the box office but it was not until 2003 in his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean which bought him into the lime light once more. His role as a pirate was much appreciated especially due to the on screen appearance in long ugly locks, gold teeth and a goatee. Earlier Depp had refused to do the role unless he got to dress his own way which enlists his as an actor who upholds the principles of creatively and the art of performance. He told that he had a strong feeling about the character which he couldn’t control so he had to diverge from the views of the director to develop a character which would be remembered for decades. His talents with the sword in the movie and special idiosyncratic way of walking in the movie are referred to as outstanding accomplishment as a performer. Depp has played singular and distinctive types of characters and his versatility has made many directors his huge fans especially Tim Burton with whom he has worked on seven projects. He is an intriguing actor who is interested in doing different characters and trying new things without the fear of his image. He is willing to take risks and try different things as with his film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in which he portrayed Willy Wonka which was reclusive and worrisome character which he loved to play. His latest adventure is Alice and the Wonderland which is also a directorial of Tim Burton in which Depp features as Mad Hatter another mad character who is thought to suffer from mercury poisoning. With the frizzy orange wig, frock coat over a red waistcoat, top hat, white painted face with green lenses he is almost unrecognizable in his freaky character for Alice and the Wonderland. In an interview he claimed that he envisions the character after a thorough research and try to add a part of himself to the character which makes it so distinct. Along with his talents in acting Depp is still pursuing his first passion which was music as has done a number of solo projects and plays with the band named P. Depp and Paradis grow grapes and have a wine making facility in Saint-Topez in France. He has had three academy award nominations for Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Neverland and Sweeney Todd. He won his only Golden Globe award in 2008 for the portrayal of Sweeney Todd. References 1. http://movies. ign. com/articles/633/633236p1. html 2. http://www. telegraph. co. uk/culture/film/starsandstories/7205720/Tim-Burton-and-Johnny-Depp-interview-for-Alice-In-Wonderland. html 3. http://www. ugo. com/channels/filmTv/features/piratesofthecaribbean/johnnydepp. asp 4. http://www. johnnydepp. com/bio. htm 5. http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0000136/bio 6. http://www. johnnydeppfan. com/interviews/ias. htm 7.

Essay about Lessons of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911

The sheer physical nature of fire is to consume all fuel that lay in its path. That is exactly what happened in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. The building itself was reported to be fire proof, but what about its contents? The amount of unused cotton and other fabric scraps that were piled up were ample amounts of fuel just waiting to be consumed by a spark. The business owners kept what little exits and escape routes the building had locked for fear of a thieving employee. The employees mostly took the elevators up and down the building, limiting their knowledge of possible escape routes. Given those three factors combined, it was only a matter of time before disaster would strike. The fire started and quickly cut off†¦show more content†¦(Von Drehle, 2003) The greatest lesson learned from this tragedy was the need for planned fire drills and accessible fire escapes. If the employers would have made it mandatory that all employees become familiar with the buildings layout, practice fire drills and know their closest fire escape, it would have aided the employees in the hour of despair. The biggest cause for death in this fire was a result of poor pre-fire planning. The building may be fire proof, but the people and contents inside are not. The Triangle tragedy opened many people’s eyes. The realities of a disaster happening anywhere, at anytime, were real and people needed to prepare. Many investigations were launched surrounding the Triangle fire. Commissions formed that later gave out rulings and findings. Even the Ladies Garment Workers Union became involved, trying to get standards and codes passed that would ensure the safety of workers in the workplace. It took many years for the commissions and unions to get the cha nges implemented. Today, regardless of OSHA enforcement, there are still workplaces with locked or blocked emergency exits. 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