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Showing posts from September, 2021

Race as a Key Part of International Relations

       In a quite unique argument, both Zvobgo and Loken describe how race has a significant impact in  international relations, and the factors that contribute to this conclusion. The pair of authors throughout  their writing address the western dominance and white privilege that pervade international relations. In  their view, there are many components that are “raced” in the political climate, which makes international  relations “raced” as a whole. This argument that the pair of authors are making deals with many  theoretical components such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Race is in fact a central organizing  figure in world politics due to its influence on many of the key components of it.   There are two important terms when it comes to international relations that are important to consider the argument of Zvobgo and Loken: anarchy and hierarchy. Anarchy, where there is no supreme power or authority in the world, is a huge building block of international relations th

The Role of Christianity in White Superiority

Madison K.  In his piece "The Culture of White Folk" Web Du Bouis comments on a lot of different aspects of superiority that white people feel they have. He talks about colonialism, division of class through race, gender and socioeconomic status, and how many European countries were built on the backs of people of color. But what gives one race, gender, or class the feeling that they are above others? The culture of white christianity is a large factor in creating this type of superiority.       Religion is very powerful and very dangerous. There is a reason that a lot of people support the separation of church and state. Religion also varies from service based to commitment to a church or temple and even every day traditions. And while some can argue that religion can do a lot of good for people there is a large spectrum. In this case we will be focusing on the influence of christianity on how Europe and America was developed and how it shaped the values people hold true tod

Stigmatization of the Nuclear Bomb: Drew Holm

The stigmatization of the nuclear bomb demonstrates the evolution of international relations from the time nuclear weapons were first developed to present day. The development of the bomb lies perfectly within the realm of political realism. It was developed in order to bring a swift end to the war, no matter how many civilian lives were lost, and it served as a way for the United States to demonstrate their power to the rest of the world. The development of the bomb was an amoral action, as it appears that the larger implications that might result from the use of such a destructive weapon were not deemed important. The ultimate decision to drop the bombs also represents amoral action. While the stated goal of the nuclear drops were defended as a moral action, they were also called immoral based on the fact that the targets were not Japan’s military, but instead Japanese civilians. The dropping of the bombs was also about cementing the United States as a global power. By ending the war

Even a country without colonies can benefit from colonialism

Nicolas Grünig In his work "Of the Culture of White Folk" W.E. Burghardt Du Bois harshly criticizes European colonialism. According to Du Bois, the main reason for Europe's economic success is the colonies that European countries exploit in a brutal and racist way. The text is a merciless judgment of a shameful and controversial time in Europe's history. Even nowadays, there needs to be more done for the reappraisal of this period and the impact that it still has today on our society. As an example, we can look at the country Switzerland. Switzerland has never had colonies in his history. One can argue now that Switzerland is not affected and addressed by the text of Du Bois. However, this view would be naïve and short-sighted and does not show the real impact of colonial history. The Black Lives Matter movement started a debate and raised awareness over the history of colonial impact in Switzerland and accomplished a brighter understanding in the society of this chap

Lack of Empathy for Political Advancement

Europe’s nonchalant attitude towards the dehumanization of  people of color is both horrible and shameful. Europe is addicted to the idea of power and will do whatever it takes to keep their interests at the forefront of every political decision, even if that means losing all empathy for fellow human beings. They believe in the hierarchical nature of society and deem others as beneath them. This begs the question - is the only way for a state to become a superpower is to lose compassion for other states and their interests?  Europe exploited people of color for their own gain and associated them with all things that are unworthy and beneath them. This exploitation was often justified through a white version of Christianity, which explained the inhuman actions of Europe by viewing Europe as somehow more advanced both morally and politically. Although Europe was deemed as heartless and selfish towards people of color and those not in their interests, they were also renowned for their