Can the West build states in countries like Afghanistan?
The War in Afghanistan is now in its tenth year. The conflict has diversified as it has developed, evolving from a purely military confrontation against the Taliban to a multi-faceted state building and humanitarian operation in an attempt to defeat the resurgent insurgency and stabilise the Afghan state on a sufficiently pro-Western model.
To what extent has globalization aided the spread of democracy?
Globalization has entrenched and encouraged liberal democracy where it resides but in isolation can take little credit for spreading democracy globally. Moreover, globalization has been found to have a more pivotal and detrimental role in undermining democracy by providing networks and resources for anti-democratic forces.
To what extent was the US military’s attitude towards the media during the 1991 Gulf War a product of its experience in Vietnam?
The minds and hearts of US citizens were lost because the media coverage of the Vietnam War, watched in millions of American homes, was uncensored, straightforward and highlighted all the cruelties of the conflict. The media coverage of the 1991 Gulf War was entirely different.
The Limits of Economic Globalization
Since the 1990s, the phenomenon of globalization has been widely discussed. contemporary economic globalization is often exaggerated, and it can be argued that there are some current patterns that are more limited, less integrated, and less interdependent in comparison with 19th century economic globalization, especially the period from 1870 to 1914
The food crisis: its causes and consequences
The English revolution in the middle of the 17th Century, the French revolution at the end of the 18th Century, and the Russian revolution at the beginning of the 20th Century— all were revolutions of the same nature.Similarly, there is no doubt that the 2011 Arab Spring has been provoked by a food crisis. But the food crisis does not only influence the Middle East. In India and Bangladesh revolution is inevitable.
Can international institutions help make the world more peaceful?
The development of international institutions is one of the most admirable efforts for the achievement of world peace that the world has ever seen. It possesses many of the qualities of the liberalist ideal, however, it has not fulfilled its aim to make the international community a more peaceful place.
Should the UN be reformed. How?
Reform of the United Nations is a much debated subject constantly on the UN agenda. This essay argues that UN reform is necessary in order to strengthen the UN’s effectiveness as a multilateral organization, bring more transparency to the institution and enhance its credibility.
Is cosmopolitain democracy desirable and feasible?
Politically, the EU is far off from being a cosmopolitan polity. This comes down to the fact that political participation does not cross borders. State sovereignty still plays a crucial part in the make up of the EU. Yet, there is a fundamental issue here. Increased democratic functions would need to occur before ever the mildest of David Held’s proposals could become reality.
The Reality of US-UN Relations
Great powers rarely make great multilateralists. The United Nations owes a lot of what it is today to the United States. It was the US that breathed life into the UN with its power and resources. Despite being one of the biggest advocates for the UN, why has the US been ambivalent towards it?
New Terror or Old News?
The application of sudden non-state actor violence to achieve political goals can be traced far back in history, but terrorism as a transnational and organized activity was first witnessed in Europe by the end of the 19th century. A long-term process of change usually precedes terrorism. Thus terrorism does not occur in stable times or systems, and its effectiveness is dependent on the instability of the framework or society it is practiced in.
