International Relations

Today’s international system is not the same of that hundreds of years ago, or is it? The hypothetical situation presented to us, can help answer many questions, like that above, and explore the various theories of international relations. As the leader of the great power country A, I see my overall position, in regards to the situation at hand, as an economic liberal in the modern arena. Though I have stated an overall view, I will address each choice and its many factors that will lead me to my final decision on what to do about the vulnerable neighboring country X.

I begin my assessment by attempting to fully understand all aspects of the situation. I do this by asking a number of questions. With the first question being, is there any historical information about these neighboring countries that might help enlighten my decision? Does either country B or C have a history war or aggression? If this was the case, it may be appropriate to assume those countries might try to takeover country X. Historical information serves as a key role in helping to determine the risk of the takeover.

Another question would be, what, if anything makes country X attractive for a takeover? It is given that the country is politically unstable, but does it have particularly appealing military strength? Do its lands hold valuable natural resources? Is its economy seen as a lucrative emerging market? It may be probable to assume that the level of attraction of country X and the risk of a takeover are directly correlated.

A question often overlooked, but quite important is, does an institutional system exist? Is there an overseeing body, like the United Nations for example, that will handle the entire situation themselves or not at all? (Nye, 88) If an enforcing institution did exist, the amount of involvement would inversely affect the risk of a takeover. All of these questions so far have helped in my first step to deciding how to handle the current situation. This first step, of assessing the net risk of a takeover, is appropriately organized because it provides a strong supporting role to my next step of analyzing what a takeover means for my country, and its significance.

Now that I have examined the overall risk of a takeover, in my second step I will use the risk information to explore what affects a takeover will have on country A. In the case where either country B or C might aggressively take over country X, I must take a defensive stance. As a leader, I must be wary of the chance that after country X is taken over, the conquering country will not be satisfied and attempt to also take over my country.

In the scenario where I analyzed the country’s attractiveness, it all depends on the level and arena. If the country possesses a strong military supply, this would be considered a situation along the lines of a prisoner’s dilemma. (Nye, 16) Meaning, I may have to invade and take over country X to avoid being vulnerable later. Again, this all also hinges on the historically aggressive nature of countries B and C.

As for the arena in which country X may have valuable resources or perhaps a lucrative emerging economy, I believe this is the biggest determinant in our entire outcome. As an economic liberal, I feel that the root of this entire conflict, in the modern day world, would be a dependence on money and trade. Being neighboring bodies, if any combination of the countries had intra-trade or any other financial relationship, I believe it would dictate their actions respectively. In today’s