Ballistic Missile Defence in the 21st Century
Ultimately for a State, the decision to employ a BDM complex does not stem solely from the desire to improve international stability. It instead comes from a desire to improve its own defensive and/or offensive capabilities. Stability has a severe effect on this, but it is up to the leadership of any such nation state to decide whether the costs that come from a destabilised environment outweigh the potential benefits such a capability could provide, both now and in the future.
Hegemonic Stability Theory and the 20th Century International Economy
The theory of hegemonic stability does not explain the failure of the interwar and the success of the post-1945 international economic orders. Domestic influences upon international monetary cooperation in major states were a crucial determining factor in the global economic stability or lack thereof in the interwar and post-WWII periods.
Democratic Agonism: Conflict and Contestation in Divided Societies
By choosing to ignore an agonistic approach, democratic politics in Turkey has in fact exacerbated the antagonistic potential existing in society.
The Legacy of Communism in CEE
No culture or society can escape the 1989 revolutions; they marked a distinct caesura in International Relations. The states that emerged had to deal with unique circumstances, being geographically located in Europe but politically worlds apart.
Nuclear Non-use: Rational Deterrence, Prudence or a Long-lasting Taboo?
The subject of this essay asks how the issue of nuclear non-use lends itself to constructivist understandings, namely to the interpretation of ongoing processes of social interaction determined by shared ideas.
In the Post-9/11 Era is “The Responsibility to Protect” Irrelevant?
The responsibility to protect individuals from violations of their human rights around the world has been a movement increasing in intensity since the end of the Cold War. Since 9/11, the responsibility to protect has perished, and its corpse is now being used as a disguise for self-interest and self-security
Do Nuclear Weapons Still Have a Role in International Relations in the Post-Cold War Era?
For those that lived through the Cold War, nuclear weapons are synonymous with the superpower rivalry of the USA and USSR. Although never used, they were central to the conflict. Now, in the post-Cold War environment, this rivalry has been removed and the question of the utility of nuclear weapons is being reviewed.
Is Clausewitzian Thought Really Timeless as Some Have Claimed?
One should not attempt to apply Clausewitz’s individual theses word for word to a modern-day context, but if we succeed in finding fresh angles from which to approach the text, we can still appreciate the applicability of his methods.
Political Apathy: A Curable Malady for Ukraine?
The Ukrainian power elite have one point in common: the lack of public confidence in their leadership. If voters continue to be left disenfranchised, viewing the efforts of power elites as suspicious and self-motivated, then it stands to reason that more destructive expressions of political conflict will eventually manifest.
Does Security exist outside of the speech act?
Security is constructed through processes of social interaction, but cannot be defined as existing only within the speech act. Hence, the definition of security in terms of a discourse-action sequence is problematic, inasmuch as it fails to recognise the complexity of the construction of security in global politics.
