Why the Rise of China Will Not Lead to Global Hegemony
China’s problems demand too much attention, which as hegemonic stability theorists insist, will hinder its emergence.
Norm-taker or Norm-shaper: Is China Socialising into Norms of Intervention?
Language has been expanded to give China greater flexibility in discourse about intervention showing that it has become a tactical tool rather than a deeply held value.
Colonialism, Lebanon and the Middle East
Many of the recent uprisings in the Middle East have been in reaction to political systems and traditions which can be traced back to the colonial period. This is very much the case with the protests against Confessionalism in Lebanon. Although colonial rule has ended, its legacy continues in contemporary Middle Eastern politics.
Was the European student movement of the 1960s a global phenomenon?
The anti-conformist student movement was indeed a global phenomenon, even though there are still some sociologists that support the idea that the protests were only movements of university students, and small minorities of young people that had little to do with higher education.
Modernities for ‘Alternatives to Development’: Vietnamese Colonial Modernity
Post-development should open space in a previously colonised field for alternative ontologies on the nature of being and concepts of a good society.
The Relation of Security To Identity
Security and identity are two concepts that are deeply intertwined on many different levels, and cannot be separated, demonstrating the flaws in the Neorealist position. While identities are intersubjectively constructed and can emerge or disappear over time, they remain relatively fixed entities, and are thus an essential referent object for security.
To What Extent, if at all, does Islamism’s Moral Agenda Render it Undemocratic?
In recent years the compatibility of political Islam and democracy has been a high-profile issue for academics, Islamic thinkers and politicians alike. The importance of this theoretical debate has been amplified by the United States’ apparent policy of promoting democracy in the Middle East, using force if necessary.
Has the war on terror been an appropriate response to terrorism?
Terrorism has existed for centuries as a way of creating disruption and fear. Yet, to declare a war against it has created numerous questions as to how to fight this multifaceted idea. Individual groups do indeed hold ideological stances, just as legitimate political parties do, but to brand all terrorism and terrorists as the same would be incorrect.
What Military Lessons can be Drawn from the Spectacular Terrorist Attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001?
“Never despise your enemy, whoever he is. Try to find out about his weapons and means, how he uses them and fights. Research into his strengths and weaknesses” asserted Field Marshal Prince Alexander V. Suvorov in 1789. In executing the most spectacular terrorist attacks in history in September 11th 2001 this is certainly what al-Qaeda did. To respond, the United States military must recognise the unconventional nature of its new opponent and greatly broaden its conception of threats and the means to counter them.
The Shadows of Tiananmen: Chinese Foreign Policy and Human Rights
Since Tiananmen Square 1989, China’s understanding of the significant yet contingent power of human rights discourse has guided much of its foreign policy on the subject.
