Realism and the War on Terror Essay -- essays research papers

Realist thought on international relations adjoin comfortably within the context of the spectacular warfares of the twentieth century. Powerful nations possessing massive military forces took aim at one another to affect the hierarchical structure of the international system for the good of their protest security and power. These wars, however, differ greatly from todays unconventional war on terrorism. Therefore, the realist theories of yesterday, while still useful, require at least some tweaking to summate the present situation. Probably the most obvious critique of realism with regard to the war on terrorism is that it is a theory that deals with international relations. The belligerents in the war on terrorism are not endlessly conventional nation-states. Therefore, any theory that seeks to explain international relations must be amended to fit the framework of a situation in which nations are not the only players. This is not simply a matter of diction either. Non-state a ctors do not always act like states possessing a cohesive foreign policy and a desire for self-preservation and advancement. Furthermore, terrorist organizations are not tied to any specific area of push down surrounded by well-defined borders that are protected with conventional military forces. This is not to say that terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah are just devoid of the motivations on which traditional nation-sates act like the desire for power, wealth, and security beca...