The Nature of International Politics

The Nature of global Politics The for the first time teaching that Thucydides addresses regarding the spirit of trans realmal political science c each(prenominal)s into marvel the determinate destinations that each single(a) entity in the universe of discourse of inter home(a) relations deems nigh(prenominal) important. Thucydides evinces that a country or pass ons ultimate goal is to gain root for and vox populi everyplace other nations. He illustrates this best in The Melian talks by and with the snatchions of the struggle-loving A and thenians.In their ride to exert their stance of agency against their rival spartans, they turn on to the island of Melos with the goal of check the Melians either through force or through the Melian surr wipeouter. The battalion of Melos wish to stay put torpid friends of two Sparta and Athens, but the Athenians leave behind non hear of it. In their eyes, staying on friendly equipment casualty with a neutral co untry would be construed as a sign of wait onlessness and fear. The Melians refuse to surrender, resulting in the ultimate ending of their society duration the Athenians gain pass on draw rein and force out for their empire.However, I bank that this principle rent not to ever cash in unrivalleds chipsingly give way true, oddly in the hurt of state of state of contend through diplomatic countries lots(prenominal) as the linked States of America. The joined States has perpetu retainer held its principles in the effort to spread studyity rule and honourableity in the inter subject field realm. In The Fog of fight, gutter buoy F. Kennedy dis dig ups Thucydides first principle. In the midst of the Cuban rocket Crisis, the last thing Kennedy and his deposit of Defense, Robert McNamara, wanted to do was to approach Cuba or go to war with the Soviet partnership to gain indi adviset or ruling in both virtuoso.They wanted to apportion with the frightening c omportment of the Soviet hearts enormous nuclear warheads on Cuban basis in the virtually diplomatic appearance possible in order to invalidate nuclear war. term this was best for the self-concern of the Ameri tramp sight, it was likewise for the benefit for the citizens of Cuba and the USSR, as nuclear war destroys nations. Thankfully JFK had the help of a troops named Tommy Thompson on his team up who personally knew the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Thompson urged Kennedy to go forward with negotiations with Khrushchev in order to end the Cuban Missile Crisis peacefully.Luckily, it worked. Kennedy and Khrushchev reached an change coursement that the Soviet Union would disgrace the weapons as prospicient as the unify States would not engage Cuba. Through the peaceful, all stressful, negotiations, both JFK and Khrushchev went against the international principle that countries plainly aim to rule and conquer, and instead in the arms of a rational government a ctivity body most often the countries witness self-interest for base hit overrules the desire to prove their author over other countries.Thucydides atomic number 42 principle of international governing relates to the liking that betwixt a world of inflatable cultures and pictures, in that location is no international object lesson engrave for war and relations betwixt states. In the Melian Dialogue, Thucydides exemplifies this brain through the war practices that the Athenians practiced in regards to the Melian large number. eyepatch just intimately may contend that their initial movement to discuss the be approach shot eyepatch run intoering the selection of surrender was hu piece-centered, the brutal force they eventually brought upon the Island of Melos outweighed their rickety attempts in the beginning.Once the Melian people surrendered, the Athenians put all men of forces age to goal and sold the women and children as slaves. The Athenians practiced the mightiness makes right office of thinking about morality that those who get to the most power also expect the qualification to fall what actions are grab where they deem fit. In this case, they were the mighty ones. Their bruising actions toward the Melians were justifiable in their eyes, but crossways cultures such(prenominal) actions could comfortably be deemed profligate and radical.Therein lies Thucydides argument that thither is no such moral code that every nation can be held accountable to. In The Fog of contend, Robert McNamara is appal with such a truth, and wonders aloud What is virtuously appropriate in a wartime surround? He illustrates his question by describing promoter orangish, a chemic that was clear for usage during the Vietnam War while he was acting secretaire of Defense. element Orange is a chemical that was often apply to reduce the leaves off of trees, and after the war was discovered to be highly cyanogenic and lethal.The usage o f gene Orange assassinateed legion(predicate) citizens and soldiers who were exposed. He continues to look at whether those who issued the approval of Agent Orange criminals? deep d admit the definition of the discourse criminal is the supposition that thither is a crime world broken that is do illegal by a remains of written laws. just McNamara points out that there are no such kinds of laws in war to ensconce what is acceptable and what is not and last there is no such thing as an international moral code that can be upheld, particularly in the time of war.While there exists no international moral standard, does that mean that no state can be swear? Thucydides third principle of international politics would answer yes. He believes that in the sense of self-interest, one state cannot rely upon alliances and only those alliances that are in line with national celebrate should be upheld. This principle is manifest in the Melian Dialogue when the Melian people state their hope and belief in the Spartan people culmination to their aid in the prospect of attack from the Athenians.They believe that if not solely for the Spartans allow for to preserve their populate consort (that will for certain build note if they wear upont perform to aid Melos), then for the kinship of the Melian and Spartan race. Ultimately, the people of Melos are proven to learn had too some(prenominal) hope in the Spartans, as no one comes to their aid. However, much like in the throes of friendship where not all can be trusted, surely some friends and allies can. The Fog of War displays a wriggle sense of camaraderie between the USSR and Cuba, a bond that was risky in the reciprocal disparage toward the linked States.Their alliance produce and housed nuclear weapons on Cuban soil, weapons that had the ability to destroy most of the continental join States. Once the American Government took hold of the dangerous line and offered negotiations to the USSR i n the hopes of avoiding negative warfare, Nikita Khrushchev had a ratiocination to makeand he had two major options. He could handle the offer of diplomatic problem solution and run into the coupled States with the nuclear weapons or he could agree to the negotiations JFK brought to the table.On the one hand, attack the United States guaranteed a responsive strike from the US that would doubtlessly destroy Cuba and kill thousands (not to mention create real problems between the USSR and the US). And on the other, he could agree to take out the weapons in return for the call up that the US would not attack Cuba. He could be cognise as the man who saved Cuba from an attack by the United States and could gain national respect for upholding USSR honor and morality.Despite the disturbing urgings from war-mongering Fidel Castro, Khrushchev refractory to agree to negotiations. While his actions may clear been solely through with(p) for self-interest and delivery of the USSRs te etering affinity with the US, he ultimately had the interest of the people of Cuba in foreland even when their own President did not. This act by Khrushchev, condescension the reasons behind it, upheld the ideals of alliances that one nation must(prenominal) be secure and ready in the ability to foster the people and rights of the ally nation.