Abstract This paper explains that it is difficult to determine whether the Iraq War has been beneficial or detrimental to the U.S. economy in particular and the global economy overall. The author points out that the bias of the periodicals covering this topic tends to reduce the ability to effectively explore these issues, for the debate tends to be charged in favor of the bias held by the periodical. This paper demonstrates this bias in exploring the economic outcome of the Iraq War as presented in conservative and liberal publications.
From the Paper "The characterization of whether the Iraq War is a moral or an immoral war tends to correspond to whether the publication reporting on it reflects party-line values. The Iraq War has been roundly criticized for its role in the dissolution of security within Iraq, and the increasing lack of security within the Middle East and within countries with corresponding Muslim and Arabic beliefs. In attempting to rebuild Iraq following the official close of the war, and also in attempting to promote security within Iraq and within the surrounding countries, the ability to profit from reconstruction in Iraq has characterized much of the debate over the moral status of the Iraq War. It is difficult to determine whether the War has been beneficial or detrimental to the U.S. economy in particular, as well as the global economy overall."
Abstract This paper addresses the value of international institutions towards maintaining peace, international security and inter-state cooperation. The author examines the role that the United States plays in this new world order as the undisputed hegemon of the day. The paper explains the role of the European Union and the difficulties that exist in establishing international security and peace.
This paper discusses the role that foreign direct investment (FDI) in the economic growth of developing nations in Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 5 sources, 2005, $ 71.95
Abstract This paper explains that the importance of foreign direct investments (FDI) in developing economies cannot be overstated. The author presents Malaysia as a single case example. The paper relates that Malaysia is a nation, which has been troubled by currency and image problems but continues to compete for FDI that signify the potential for economic growth.
From the Paper "The importance of foreign direct investments (FDI) in developing economies cannot be overstated. FDI has the incredible power to affect the national economy of a developing (and even of developed) nation either for domestic good or ill. In recent years, this has been shown to be particularly true within the context of Southeast Asia, where quite a lot of FDI has flowed since the early 1990s. In some cases, this has been a positive force for economic growth, contributing to the long-term stability of the host nation."
Abstract This article examines the cultural, commercial, political and environmental effects of globalization. The writer then looks at the related challenges and dangers. The writer discusses how the existence of international monopolies together with the third world sweat shops and additional factors endanger global survival. The writer further discusses that globalization's exportation of environmentally and perhaps socially unsustainable Western materialism to populous developing nations such as India and China is also worrying for the future of the planet.
From the Paper "Evidence of increasing hegemony by an ever shrinking number of multinational conglomerates is fuelling increasing concern regarding global cultural, commercial, political and environmental effects from such inequitable distribution of power. The creation of international industrial monopolies and massive fortunes of unprecedented size, accompanied as it is by equally massive down-sizing, unemployment, environmental degradation and the exponential increase of Third World sweat shops and child labor, seems to be leading to disaster on a global scale."
Abstract This paper examines the War Powers Act of 1973, which was passed by Congress in response to the massive deployment of American troops to Vietnam in the nineteen-sixties. This deployment had begun in 1965 in the aftermath of the passage of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution and had continued to escalate for four years. The paper shows that by 1969, more than five-hundred-thousand American soldiers were fighting in Southeast Asia and U.S. military commanders were demanding the deployment of two-hundred thousand additional troops.
Abstract This paper examines the origins of the First World War, which can be traced to a number of political and diplomatic causes, such as militarism, imperialism, and European great power rivalry. The paper also discusses the views of most historians who agree that entangling alliances among the great powers of Europe were the most important factor.
From the Paper "Introduction to History of International Relations The Origins of World War I: The origins of the First World War can be traced to a number of political and diplomatic causes, such as militarism, imperialism, and European great power rivalry. These factors all helped to cause the war, but most historians agree that entangling alliances among the great powers of Europe were the most important factor. These alliances were intended to be defensive and were seen as a way to prevent a major European war, but ironically, they contributed to the outbreak of the war instead of preventing it. (Hamilton 551)"
Abstract This paper examines how the role of NATO has changed since the end of the Cold War. The paper tells us that, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, one might have expected that NATO would quietly fade into the background of world affairs, joining the legion of other defunct political institutions. However, this was not how the 1990s played out. Instead, NATO was expanded and given new life through new expansionist policies meant to secure peace and stability throughout non-NATO Europe. The paper goes on to suggest that this transformation, however, has not secured peace but instead serves only to extend and reinforce Western, particularly U.S., interests in Central and Eastern Europe.
From the Paper "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has survived an unimaginable turn of events, from an institutional standpoint. NATO was designed to give the United States and Western Europe a collective defensive front against Soviet aggression, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe. NATO was a foil to the Soviet Warsaw Pact and existed as such predominantly throughout the Cold War. Its raison d'etre was to provide mutual defense for its member nations. "
Abstract The World Trade Organization or WTO is a relatively new body created in 1995 and one which its founders probably never expected to create the massive controversy that it has generated. It has come to represent globalization, and how one views it tends to reflect how one views the massive corporate expansion of the last few decades. This paper examines the WTO and considers whether it is really a tool working towards world harmony and trade accords that promote global equity or if it is just another example of consolidation of power by global elites to the exclusion of the poor majority.
Abstract This paper analyzes the different factors which together influence and effect changes in oil prices in the global market. It explains that natural calamities that are an ever-present danger for the rich oil shores along the Gulf of Mexico, the volatility of the Middle East, swelling domestic consumption and natural disasters together contribute to the high oil prices in the nation.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Increase in Oil Price (Different reasons)
Oil Refineries
Natural Disasters
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "As mentioned above, different political and economic reasons affect oil prices. First of these is the political unrest in Iraq. As a huge oil-producing nation, Iraq has a considerable effect on the global oil economy. The 1978 revolution in Iran affected oil production. [LSA] During the 1980'war between Iraq and Iran, we saw the drastic increase in oil prices. Then again during the first gulf war between Iraq and Kuwait, we witnessed the shooting up of oil prices. So the political instability of these nations that come under the oil belt have a direct influence on production capacity and consequently affect the price. Currently, American invasion of Iraq has created a volatile situation with increasing terrorist activities. The insurgents are targeting the oil fields and the important pipelines. Monitoring the complete stretch of pipelines is practically impossible."
Abstract This paper explains the WTO's agenda and its effect on Africa and Europe. It contends that a freer trading Europe would be a prosperous one, not only in terms of greater economic growth for power houses like Britain or Germany but for development for the stagnant Portugal and the emerging Poland. It looks at how it would also have the potential to act as a saviour for the poor and developing world, allowing them to rise from entrenched poverty into prosperity.
From the Paper "The most incendiary and infamous interest group who would stand to lose would be those farmers who benefit from the Common agricultural policy. The CAP is not only an anachronistic subsidy in an age of free trade and globalisation, it is also an enormous one; it consumes nearly fifty percent of the EU's multi billion dollar budget (www.bbc.co.uk). Put simply, the realisation of the WTO's agenda would see a straight loss of L43 billion for the EU's farmers (the total of their subsidy in 2005 figures, www.bbc.co.uk) the loss of their protected standard of living and of their privileged access to the lucrative single European market. One would expect that, now on a level playing field, it would only be a matter of time before African farmers began to offer the European consumer cheap food and other goods which presented serious competition for their European counterparts. "
Abstract This paper examines the pros and cons of international trade in order to determine whether increased international trade is beneficial or detrimental for our world. The paper also analyzes existing problems in international trade and their causes and then discusses how they can be overcome so that a greater cross-section of the global population can begin to benefit from increased trade.
Table of Contents:
The Pros and Cons of International Trade
Reasons Why Increased International Trade is Beneficial
Growing International Trade
Pros: Benefits of Increased International Trade
Cons: The Disadvantages
Analysis of the Arguments
What Should Be Done?
Conclusion
From the Paper "Unprecedented development in the communication and information technologies in the last few decades as well as the eclipse of Communism has given a great boost to international trade. Most statistics and analysis show that the countries and people involved in trade benefit and increased international trade leads to prosperity and development. However, such trade also gives rise to a number of problems such as increasing inequality and rural poverty. Most of these problems are the result of trade rules that favor large corporations and the rich, who can be overcome by making the necessary adjustments suggested in this essay."
Abstract This paper argues that the Cold War was the inevitable consequence of the global shift in power. It outlines the change in the balance of world powers during the Second World War. Then it explains how the American plan for free market trade was irreconcilable with Soviet plans for continued Communism and a buffer zone of Communist states. The paper discusses American idealistic universalism and the closed, suspicious nature of the Soviet government and the Soviet revival of communism. It then outlines the history of tension between Russia and America and shows that the only reason open war did not break out was fear of nuclear weapons.
From the Paper "Stalin heightened tensions with the west at the end of the war by promoting a siege mentality in the Soviet Union. "This feeling of fear and insecurity lived and flourished and came to underlie almost all Soviet thought about the outside world." Russian statesmen were insular, apparently without personal contacts or interests in the Western world and concerned with international life only as it relates to Russian security. At the end of the war, Stalin told Churchill he is hoped for the "successful and happy development in the post-war period of the friendly relations which have grown up between our countries in the period of the war." But Stalin had revived communism after the war, which was ideologically anti-western and which was offensive to people in the United States. To Americans, "The institution of private property ranks with those of religion and the family as a bulwark of civilization...To tamper with private enterprise...will precipitate a disintegration of life and liberty as we conceive and treasure them." Therefore, in addition to conflicting economic interests and American ideology, the Russian siege mentality and revival of communism made the Cold War inevitable."
This paper discusses the anti-American attitude of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez toward the United States and suggests alternatives for resolving this problem.
Abstract This paper explains that corruption and dissatisfaction with the Venezuela democratic government brought Hugo Chavez to power. The author underscores that, because of Chavez's hostility towards the United States and the dependency of the U.S. on Venezuelan oil, an alternative to the current state of affairs between the US and Venezuela must be developed. The paper explores several possible alternatives to the current state of affairs between Venezuela and the United States, all carry differing costs and benefits the United States. These include using an oil embargo against Venezuela, which would severely affect the popularity of Chavez's government by cutting the funding for several of his popular social programs, developing anti-Chavez, pro-U.S. sentiment in the region of Latin America in an effort to use multilateral cooperation to control Chavez and his foreign policy agendam, and ignoring Chavez's anti-U.S. rhetoric and developing bilateral relations dealing with several issues of mutual concern. The paper concludes that the best alternative is using multilateral support to control Chavez, which has both the greatest benefit and the lowest cost and could help U.S. and Latin American relations in the future.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
History
Development of Alternative Approaches
Cost Benefit Analysis of Alternatives
Recommendation and Justification
Executive Summary
From the Paper "Costs to developing this alternative are relatively few and would only significantly affect American policy in the Latin American region with relatively little impact on domestic issues. While the turbulent history of U.S.-Latin American relations have led to a large amount of hostility and suspicion on the part of Latin American governments towards any American involvement in the region, such a low opinion of the United States must change in order to develop the regional support necessary to control Chavez."
Tags: dependency oil anti-american rhetoric, multilateral support
This paper analyzes political scientist Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations and the Making of the World Order" by comparing it with Edward Said's book "Orientalism".
Abstract This paper explains that, in "The Clash of Civilizations and the Making of the World Order", Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington believes that a clash of civilizations may arise in the not too far distant future because of the instability of the present international system, which he believes features a number of civilizations with incompatible political, social, cultural and religious values. The author points out that Huntington is especially critical of Islam, which he views as a civilization convinced of its cultural superiority yet obsessed with the inferiority of their power. The paper argues that, despite Edward Said's charges in his book "Orientalism", neither Huntington nor the theories in his book is orientalist. The author underscores argues that ill-conceived books, such as Said's , perpetuate myths about Zionism and Western misdeeds.
From the Paper "In contrast to Huntington, who is very critical of Islam, Said is very critical of Zionism. Consequently, it is not surprising that he would consider Huntington an Orientalist. For example, in terms of Zionism and related perceived ideologies, Said insists upon blaming the West or Zionists for the poor image of Arab societies among so many people outside of the Middle East. He seems particularly intent upon attacking Jewish scholars and media organizations, and objects to any mention in the West of Arab treatment of groups such as the Kurds, the Christians, the Bahais, or Arab women who undergo genital mutilation in the name of "modesty"."
Tags: instability islam zionism incompatible, intellectual weakness
Abstract This paper discusses globalization as a process that increases tge integration of economies of countries through trade and financial flows and that involves the movement of people and knowledge across borders. The paper maintains that some of the aspects of globalization are good and some are bad. The paper then relates that some of the positive aspects are the spread of culture and ideas, the break down of the language barriers, and the reduced risk of armed conflict. In contrast, some negative aspects of globalization are the exploitation of labor, eroding and corruption of local governments and the destruction of the environment. The paper concludes that it is too early to judge the outcome of Globalization. When developing nations reach the level the U.S is at right now we will hopefully all benefit from the process of globalization
From the Paper "The spreading of cultures and ideas are positive aspects of Globalization. The spread of culture will allow nations to understand each other better .This will then lead to a reduction in cultural conflicts Culture is spread though food, music, movies and other mediums. Because the United States is such a driving force behind globalization, it is spreading its culture through almost every medium possible. The songs and movies produced in the United States are often reflective of U.S and western Culture. Therefore, they help spread the ideal and values of Capitalism and Democracy."
