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International Studies Introduction

Core Concepts and Historical Context

Between Nations
Nation: group of people that sees itself being separate
o Language
o Environment/territory
o Government
o Culture (music, lit, film, food)
o Resources, nature
Nation and state are different
o Nationgroup of people
o State is govt ruling the people
200 Countries
o 3 exceptions: Antarctica, Oceans, and atmospheric near-space
o Google pacific garbage island
Countrys 4 essential components
o Territory (natural resources)
o Population (people)
o State (government)
o Culture (high & low)


Culture
Way of life
o High and low
High (quality)
o E.g. Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Taj Mahal
o What we put in museums, model of very best
Low (quality)
o Common and widespread
o What we actually eat/drink
o Music, technology
GLOBAL DIGITAL DIVIDE
o 5 billion never used cellphone, internet
Language
Religion


State (Government)
National Governments
Make the rules (legislation), enforce them (executive power e.g. cops, military)
Defend society from domestic criminals & foreign invaders
Control membership (immigration) & access (border)
Decide whats legal and not
Set the ground rules for everything
Massive $$ resources (via taxation)
Represent the society to the rest of the world
Decide war & peace; economic & social policies; build infrastructure; respond to public emergencies:
huge impact on our lives

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Non-State
MNCs (multi-national corps.)
NGOs (non-governmental organizations; non-profit)
Social Movements (e.g. Occupy)
Interest groups
Churches/Religious Orgs.
Armed Forces
o Terrorist Groups
o Insurgent Forces
Trying to bring about civil war, overthrow govt (e.g. Syria, Libya)
o Private Militias
o PMCs/Mercenaries
E.g. Black-water now known as Xe
Ex-US militia and provide various military services

How did Nation/states come to rule the world?
Nation-state gets created in Europe
o Mid-waytiny Greek city state, enormous Roman imperial cosmopolitan empire, etc.
Romans took over the Greeks
o Lasted 1000 yearswest
o West: 475 BC-500 AD
o East: until 1453 AD
o Downfall: too big; different mindsets and cultures
Nation-states spread b/c of colonization/imperialism
1492-1945: New WorldRace to get colonies
o After WWII, Europe is broke
1945-1990: Decolonization


Empire
2 parts: Metropole (hub, mother city) and Colonies (dependencies, other parts of empire)
Metropole
o Extracts most natural resources
o Taxes, brain drains colonies
Colonies
o Benefit from Metropole: investments, military force, political leadership, some citizenship rights
Era of empire is not over? (American Empire)


Difference between North and South
Only 25% lives in global north, 75% lives in global south
North more developed and south less developed:
o Wealth
o Health
o Power
o Education
o Technology
o Urbanized
o Immigrants
o Social peace
o Stable governance
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o Life expectancy
o Even: reported personal happiness
1) Why has the world come to be split like this?
o European Imperialism, but other things as well
2) Does the North owe the South anything to make up for this?
o Laters aid & development

**NB: MENA (Middle East North Africa)

A) West vs. Rest, in terms of Civilization
West:
o Western Europe and Colonies
o Shared Values + Way of Life
a) Individualism
b) Limited, Democratic Govt
c) Free-Market Capitalism (those who make money, keep it, everyone for themselves)
d) A History of Christianity (though now a separation between church & state)
e) Commitment to Science & Technology
f) Urbanization
g) Robust Civil Society Activity (everything inside society thats not govt)
*NB: These are idealized characteristics, and Western societies dont fulfill them perfectly. Nor are these
ideals immune from criticism as ideals: e.g. individualism, capitalism &, for religious, separation between
church and state

B) Huntingdon (Harvard Prof) on The Clash of Civilizations
The farther apart on values, & the closer together geographically, the more likely war breaks out
The West vs. Middle Eastern/Arab/Islamic civilizations
After WWII, Europe (western mainly) in ruins and USA and USSR are main powers
o Both have very opposite values and systems
o MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)nuclear bombs plentiful
o Soviets and US fight, Soviets become broke, etc
Whos going to be involved in the next big wars: West vs. Islamic World (30-40 yrs)
o Predicted in the 90s before everything happened, heavily criticized

Huntingdons thesis: Wars caused by clash of values rather than clash of natural resources

*Huntingdons thesis, do you agree?
*Is America an empire?


American Empire?
Most Americans: no way; US formed in revolt against empire
o Any such accusation is bitter jealousy, re: US global success
Revisionists: theres another way of looking at US history (empire from the start)
o Formal (acknowledged) vs. Informal Empire (nobody admits it)
Satisfies informal
o US has expanded from Northeast (benefited the rich, white, Protestant males)
o Imperial project from the start
o Then start fighting wars with Spain, Mexico, Middle East
Metropole: largest economy, consumer base, magnet for immigration, global reach, military base
o Pentagon itself has admitted US has 700 military bases outside borders
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Whether US is an Empire, or merely Global Hegemony (preponderance of power in a given situation)
what are consequences for world?
A) Good: Wolfowitz et al
Project for New American Century
Americas only country that can provide global stability
Provides security and capitalist energy can help entire world
Rising tide lifts all boats
Western values
B) Bad: Chomsky
Real, and horrible
Subjection and extraction
Americans dont care about rest of world, very insolent
Could only be disaster (Vietnam, Iraq)
C) Could be Good, Currently Bad: Ferguson
Uniquely ignorant to rest of world
Can be good
British had problems with Ireland and ME but it brought technological development,
democracy/legal systems, peace, created some of the most powerful countries in world
What makes difference was British actually cared about its colonies