What do you expect will be the character of the 21st century Peaceful War-prone Chaotic - Essay Example

? At the dawn of the 21st century it appeared that the world was indeed headed for a lot of uncertainty given the challenges that were being evidenced across the world. In any case, several challenges continue to face humanity in the aspect of human relations and this creates the need for measures to address the fundamental concerns affecting humanity. In any case, the century is still young and anything is certainly possible. In the face of the growing challenges facing the world in terms of unpredictable future relations between certain countries in the world, several realities emerge. In a way, the character of the 21st century is very much unpredictable and it basically calls for a keen analysis of the whole situation in order to make sound and valid predictions in relation to the issue. In the context of peace and war, it is safer to confirm that the 21st century seems to promise much hope for the future. In a way, it certainly appears that humanity has understood the extent to which a modern war can have devastating effects on the lives of humanity. As such, most countries across the world are pushing for measures that can enhance peaceful coexistence across the world. Peace, in the context of international relations is the catalyst that can steer the course of life and drive the true sense of civilization. The experience of the two World Wars confirmed to the world that peace is the only option in a world were technology and civilization has advanced to the levels it is currently realized. The 21st century presents humanity with myriad challenges that seem to shift the priorities of humanity from the issues of war to the more fundamental concerns of this age. Such issues as climate change, poverty and other aspects continue to confront humanity day by day. In any case, the challenges that would otherwise be addressed through wars in the past are no longer addressed the same way. The United States is very careful in its operations across the world and the search for peace seems to be the most pressing preoccupation. In a way, challenges seem to emerge in this regard. The growth of the Chinese economy seems to present much headache to the Americans and it appears that the political world order might soon shift positions (Walt 45). There is a sense of growing awareness on the devastating effects of the wars that have always affected humanity. Through media and other avenues, people across the world are able to evidence the effects of the chaos that seem to be realized in certain parts of the world (Steele 25). More importantly, one of the most critical issues in the present world order has become the economic preoccupation of countries across the world. Unfortunately, economic realizations will never go in tandem with a turbulent political environment (Falk 6). It therefore goes without doubt that the 21st century promises much of peaceful coexistence in the world more than it promises a sense of chaos. However, amid the sense of peace that can be envisioned deep into the century, several challenges seem to emerge. In any case, it appears that in certain respects, war become the only option. The 21st century is inundated with a lot of challenges that seem to present a dim future for the future. The problem of terrorism is a real fact that cannot be overlooked (Scholte 250). The United States is basically at the forefront in dealing with the challenge of terrorism in the world (Jackson 15). Well, this is certainly a very delicate process where war can always be an option. In fighting terrorism across the world, it does appear that the 21st century is much gloomy in terms of dealing with the aspects of human security in relation to the challenges posed by terror (Mearsheimer 14). The notion that certain miscreants are out to terrorize the world and make life seem like mere luck is certainly not the best situation to be. In this context, to address the critical aspects of safety of its citizens, the United States has to brace up for any eventuality and this translates into the honing of its war gear in order to stay ready for the terrorists. In such a case, it appears that the 21st century does not really promise much in terms of peace in the world. The volatile situation in the Middle East and the growing threat of the development of nuclear industries among such countries is certainly a challenge to the peace of the world. Indeed, it is a century where much of the critical resources of the world are expected to diminish and create more chaos in the world. For instance when the supplies of oil are depleted in this century, some of the countries in the Middle East which entirely depend on the commodity will certainly be left at very critical economic positions (Tang 450). Given the kind of war machinery such countries are developing presently, there is much fear that chaos will eventually erupt in the world amid the economic challenges that will face the world (Arquilla 200). In the analysis of the events that are likely to be evidenced in the century, no concurrence can be realized. In this regard, it certainly presents a very double-edged situation where peace, war and chaos are likely to coexist with each other. On a different perspective it would rather be normal and much practical to presume that the 21st century will not really be much different from the 20th. In any case, the events of the past century are likely to be the trend in the world hence a continuation of the previous century. However, it must be realized that the last century was actually inundated with several issues more than can actually be evidenced in the present case. The effects of the world wars, cold war and several other crises that made the century very turbulent might really go down in history as the worst political times. However, it would still be expected that such issues are still part and parcel of humanity and the need to address the concerns of humanity might at times slide into the need to cause chaos. However, the 21st century is much more structured and regulated in terms of human operations. Presently, it is no longer a matter of sovereignty even where the lives of people seem threatened. The world will always take action and overpower the enemy before issues go wrong. It is therefore much appropriate to claim that the structure of the 21st century is much indifferent (Little, & Smith 66). Challenges might cause turbulence which might lead to war. However, it is much expected that the century might generally be much peaceful than the past considering the growth of human awareness of and the structures in place in the present world. Works Cited Arquilla, John. "Of networks and nations." Brown Journal of World Affairs 14, no. 1 (2007): 199-209. Falk, Richard. "Libya after Qaddafi." Nation, November 14, 2011: 4-6. Jackson, Robert. "International thought." In Classical and Modern Thought on International Relations: From Anarchy to Cosmopolis, by Robert Jackson, 1-16. Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Mearsheimer, John. "Strategies for survival." Chap. 1.6 in Perspectives on World Politics. Richard Little, & Michael Smith, 69-79. London: Taylor and Francis Routledge, 2006. Please note: The article itself is incorrect in showing Mearsheimer's name at the top of the documen It should be: MEARSHEIMER not Mearsheim. Walt, Stephen M. "The end of the American era." National Interest, no. 116 (2011): 6-16. Tang, Shiping. "Fear in international politics: two positions." International Studies Review 10 (2008): 451-471. Scholte, Jan Aart. "Global civil society." In Perspectives on World Politics, by Richard Little, & Michael Smith, 237-46. London: Taylor and Francis Routledge, 2006. Steele, Brent. "Liberal-idealism: a constructivist critique." International Studies Review 9, no. 1 (2007): 23-52. Read More