Introduction
Change is significant when part of the institution or team is not contented with the way things are going on. Globalization has brought fundamental changes wherein frameworks are being established and reference points are being displaced. Changes in the world’s condition enable the identification of zones of peace and war as dictated by an international governing system. Thus a mutual aid between the North-South relations becomes necessary but as signs of the North’s intention to tighten its control over the Third World economies and over global resources, an intensification of the conflict between could be sensed. The world became a smaller place because of technological development.
Global trade is becoming the trend in business. It is no doubt that the current cardholders in the global economic front are the developed countries in the North. As a new trend emerges in the century, each country needed to balance its dynamics of economic growth with the economic security of its citizenry. After the occurrence of world wars, different international organizations were established to aid in international issues whether politically or economically. Though there were no world wars staged after the Second World War, a different kind of war resurfaces (Katzenstein, Keohane, and Krasner, 1999).
The international system prospers with doubts. The validity of some of the most basic assumptions about the nature of governance and conflict are under analysis as the international system abounds. One such assumption is that there is a direct correlation between poverty, intra and inter-state violence, and systems’ collapse. In the recent trend, the validity of the relationship between these factors is being challenged. While both northern and southern rulers face this problem, the opportunities open to each different.
Globalization has given each nation a challenge regarding each competence. Nations in the North wanted to retain and expand their hold on the formal economy by forming competitive states and making sure that these are part of transnational regional arrangements that they have made. Southern rulers have also used the opportunities of globalization to amend political authority by shaping new external and internal alliances. The South is also in the process of integrating their regional states to minimize the illiberal processes of political exclusion. Democratization has frequently contributed to this development.
Each tries to work on how they could make their region stable and competitive while an agreement between the North and the South is still under negotiation. The failure to reach an agreement in the area of climate, biodiversity, and trade talks lies in the fact that each nation sees the policy presented as something that is not in lieu of the sustainable development that they aim for. It is about reaching an agreement that would be fair and beneficial (Lynn-Jones and Miller, 1993).
The September 11 bombing had made a great impact on the lives of those living in the States and around the globe as well. Some could still recall the vivid scenario at that time the plane collided with the building. Nobody was prepared for that. It had shown how a great country like America could be the target of a heinous crime. Since this incident, the US government had modified its rules and laws to make sure that it will never be repeated.
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They have even resorted to going out on war with some countries when they deem necessary. Some of the actions that Congress has done are passing the Anti-terrorism Bill, Aviation and Transportation Security Act, and freezing the account of Al Barakaat and Al Taqwa that are suspected to give financial aid to terrorists (Mead, 2002).
When the United States declared against the war on Iraq, Russia was one of those who oppose this moved. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was one of those who blocked its way through the United Nations Security Council for the war to be a legal one (Bryan, 2003). The Russians believe that what America had done will not help the situation but instead create a catastrophe in the Persian Gulf. The United States on the other hand accuses Russia of supplying Iraq with military equipment to Iraq which means the country has bypass the sanction given by United Nations against Iraq. Russia denied this allegation and asked the United States to act more responsibly.
Most countries still have an idealist point of view when it comes to saving the world and making international policies. Every situation is different and making the right decision for the given event is crucial, especially if the life of a hundred people depends on it. Foreign policies are constructed to amend these international issues. The government of the United States of America uses âthink-tanksâ to aid them in promulgating policies and treaties that would be of benefit domestically and internationally (Wittkopf, 1990).
Foreign Policy recommendation for 2009
In order for any policymaker to make a great policy for the future, one needs to look at what happened in the past and what are issues needed immediate attention. The US Government now faces complex dilemmas regarding the promotion of human rights, the punishment of crimes against humanity, and the scope for humanitarian intervention. The current administration has been under scrutiny because of the actions that they had undertaken.
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Departments of State and Defense, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs agencies are some of the institutions that are concern about the foreign policies made and implemented (Katzenstein, Keohane, and Krasner, 1999).
The role of information and values in the policy process should be clear to better evaluate how it became a problem and on the agendas of government that should be taken into consideration. Recognition of the importance of policy application and awareness of the factors affect the relative success of the implementation of policy decisions (William, 1982).
Before going to war, you have to know first what you are against. One needs to have a full grasp of who they are going against. In making foreign policies, we have to take into account the main goal and all criteria that surround this political idea that they are proposing. There are a lot of problems that envelop the world that is why screening the problems on what are the issues that need to be focused on is crucial. An idealistic and realistic point of view is some of the principles that surround the policies presented.
An idealistic point of view would be an ideology that sees the world as basically a good place and believes that people are naturally good. Idealism takes into account a moralistic perspective wherein in solving the problems, negotiation is always the first step and wherein the consensus of the group or league of the nation is taken into consideration (William,1982).
From a realistic point of view, the state is taken as a unitary actor and Military power takes primacy. In realism, policies are made according to who needs to gain power and what countries need not just a negotiation but for more forceful action. Power domination and military power are the names of the game. Countries opted to make use of their power to solve a recurring problem and to make things easier. This is what the Bush Administration had opted to use when they try to solve the problem of terrorism by attacking Iraq. Most Americans have lost their confidence in the foreign policies made by the administration. They saw it as something that does not support an American ideology (William,1982).
It is time to rebuild these cities that have been destroyed by war. Taking drastic measures had been tried and results have proven its worth. Moral matters need to be taken into consideration in making policies that would be effective not only for people on the domestic front but for national issues as well. Gains have been given and lost have been done, now is the time to help these countries without shedding blood and wasting innocent lives.
2009 Foreign policy should take these factors into consideration thus a proposed policy should have: Improve Intelligence gathering and oversight; Effective Global governance; Deal with Failed states; A new Middle East policy; Address Poverty and inequality.
Countries in the Middle East need a new perspective. An idealist point of view might be something that is hard to implement but it does not mean that it is unachievable. Nothing is impossible and the hope for peace and stability will never be abandoned. It is high time that the approach handled to these countries be modified (Goldstein and Freeman, 1990).
Disadvantages
Culture sets the behavior that surrounds an institution’s code of conduct. Factors that are included are the way we comprehend the environment, how we use time and power, how we perceive space and structures. Also included is our perception of a collective and individual task or relationships. (McNamara, 1999).
Every decision that is made in life comes with a corresponding responsibility. Battles are not being fought because of hatred; it is more on because of ideologies, of what is perceived to be right wherein the other think of it as negative. No war waged is ever futile if the end will justify the means.
Military force must be used carefully and selectively. But like other tools, it must be available to the President in responding to the real-world problems our nation will confront. Government officials’ credibility with their people is decreasing. Political power is done not in a traditional way. âForeign policy activism abroad has been an important resource of authority and credibility for political leaders. Humanitarian intervention was no substitute for the Cold War’s political and ideological defense of Western securityâ (Holsti, 2004).
âWhether the leaders of the Western world choose to wage war in favor of ethical relativism or against it, the search for a domestic vision through international intervention has consistently been a destabilizing and destructive oneâ (Holsti, 2004).
Advantages
Terrorism became a graver issue after the 9/11 incident. The world was shattered and the US see a need for drastic action to take place. The Gulf war was a success but Iraq was not near what the former had achieved.
Countries will not have their natural order without the laws that govern each. This tries to give us rules on what to do and what is prohibited. However, before this time when everything has been set with golden rules, there was a time when only guns and ammunition, not words, are used to implement the order. This has been the era of great world wars. This will be the time when the most important department of one country will be its military system. Each country tries to out win one another and thus blood was shed and some lives were wasted (Holsti, 2004).
It is not about who is right and who is wrong but a need to be aware that questioning conventional wisdom is healthy to increase understanding and awareness on certain international issues. Options to resolve difficulties and conflicts together should be attained by logical reasoning and unbiased decisions within. Resolving conflicts requires decision-making skills and steps that should be followed. Problems do not arise overnight. There are always underlying factors that need to be investigated to know the root cause of the problem. We are all bonded by laws that dictate if what we are doing is right or wrong.
Each component contributes to the behavior of the system. No component has an independent effect on the system. The key to making it work will be interdependency. We should understand the international sphere, how frameworks should not be centered on realism only but also on a rational choice perspective of neoliberal frameworks of international cooperation (Holsti, 2004).
The war against terrorism should not be about asserting power and domination. The US citizens are not far more important than those living in the Middle East or those third-world countries.
Conclusion
As we enter a new era of globalization, political leaders need to be more attuned to the need to remake global institutions in the image of new economic and geopolitical realities. A greater focus should be given to rebuilding what was lost and accepting the fact that each nation is interdependent. Each should have faith in the policies as they adhere to the principles that are kept by each nation. Goals and expectations should be set as realistic as possible. We donât live in a wonderland and thus actions done should be justifiable that it is for the good of the majority and not just for the power struggle of a few.
Success is nothing if you can’t measure it that’s why there should be structured key performance indicators to assess both quantitative and qualitative growth after the implementation of the solution. Sustainable development needs to be translated from an abstract concept into day-to-day business practice (McNamara, 1999). Sustainable development is about balancing short-term priorities with long-term needs. The ratification of the agreement will be ensured and everyone will be held responsible to commit to what the majority agreed on. Everyone must be open to renegotiation or dispute resolution during the implementation phase.
Experiences help us learn better, I learned that these experiences are not only to be kept within oneself but for it to have sense, we share it with other human beings. We take the good points from our experiences and carry them out in our life while we take the lesson learned from the bad ones and try to correct mistakes in the process of our continuous journey in this life. All men are created equal, we all have rights and responsibilities as well that must be fulfilled. The past should not be a hindrance in fulfilling a better today.
Reference
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