Essays

Revisiting the Water Wars Theory: How Reasonable States Really Are

Joseph J. Steinberg • Jan 14 2011 • Essays

Do states go to war due to resource competition? Or, do states seek settlements that reflect their long-term interests? Cross-tabulating data from the Issues Correlates of War dataset and Peter H. Gleick’s Event Intensity Scale shows that states seek negotiated settlements.

Great Power interventions and the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967-1973

anon • Jan 12 2011 • Essays

This thesis will argue that two pivotal moments in the Middle Easts recent history, the Six Day War of 1967 and the October War of 1973, whilst not inherently conducted or directly propagated by the Great Powers, stemmed from their irresponsible interference.

Environment Law and Underdevelopment in the Niger Delta Region

Emmanuel Duru • Jan 6 2011 • Essays

There is no ecological zone which has been so degraded and laid waste to than the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The bounties of nature bestowed on this geographical area have gradually been turned into its instruments of poverty and squalor, and the area remains grossly underdeveloped.

Did the End of the Cold War or 9/11 Have a Greater Impact on European Security?

Angeliki Mitropoulou • Jan 4 2011 • Essays

The end of the cold war, the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and later in Moscow, Beslan, Madrid and London, the nuclear threats from Iran and North-Korea, the situation in the Balkans and Near East and the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan all have demonstrated the practical implications of conceptual changes in European security.

Conflict and Cooperation over International Rivers: A Global Governance Proposal

Alex Stark • Dec 31 2010 • Essays

Rivers are an important source of water for the majority of the world’s people. It is impossible to imagine a world that functions without enough water for everyone, and in which major rivers are being rapidly depleted. This paper will outline the current governance of international rivers.

Why the European Parliament Will Not Solve the ‘Democratic Deficit’

Caitlin McLean • Dec 29 2010 • Essays

Ultimately, expanding the powers of the European Parliament is nothing more than a pseudo-solution. Without a structural solution, such as a shift from an intergovernmental to a federal polity, any attempt to ‘democratize’ the European Union by increasing the powers of supranational institutions will inevitably fail.

The Developmental State in the Globalizing World

Feina Cai • Dec 22 2010 • Essays

As long as countries have the ambitions to develop, the developmental state remains one of the major state paradigms. Especially for undeveloped countries, it would be a good choice to take advantage of their abilities and resources competing in the world. Therefore, the developmental state is not weakened even if it is not strengthened given the globalization context.

What is the difference between counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism?

Simon Pratt • Dec 21 2010 • Essays

The difference between counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency is simple: counter-terrorism focuses more narrowly on combating the tactics and strategy of terrorism and those who employ it, while counter-insurgency is a broader category of responses to political violence carried out by minority groups, both terroristic and otherwise.

The European Union: Power and Ethical Goals

Oliver Jones • Dec 20 2010 • Essays

The particular theory of “Ethical Power Europe” is one that has emerged relatively recently as an evolution of the characterisation of the power that the EU wields. The EU is finding it hugely difficult to act in a truly ethical foundation, devoid of self-interest as a primary motivator. Even the consistent location of the External Relations policy of the EU in a framework of Security suggests that the security of the EU that is the primary motivating factor rather than ethical goals

Amazon Battle: Is hydropower the new Kobayashi Maru?

Olimar E. Maisonet-Guzman • Dec 17 2010 • Essays

The Belo Monte and the Madeira Dams have been subjected to criticism due to their negative impacts on indigenous populations of the Xingu and Madeira River. Besides threatening the livelihood of indigenous communities, the projects also have significant negative impacts on the environment. This nevertheless remains a popular option among policy-makers.

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