Moral Infantilization in World Politics - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Infantilization refers to the manner in which a person treats a youngster in a way, which denies their maturity in age or experience, and politically it refers to when superpowers deem other countries incapable of handling a situation. This paper draws on this concept of political infantilization and analyzes it in relation to recent and current world politics.
When Obama and Cameron recently went to their legislative bodies to ask for permission to unleash punishment on Assad and his government as he allegedly committed crimes against humanity was an act of infantilization. This was an act of extending the legacy that was set by the Sykes-Picot treaty whose main intention was allowing them to govern the Muslim nations from afar (Russo, 2013). However, this move did not go well for both Obama and Cameron as their nations, as well as other world leaders such as Russia, outright rejected their intentions; consequently, the West still is in dilemma on what best to do with the case in Syria. The geographical regions of the Persian, Arab, and Turkish worlds that were set in 1917 have little resemblance with the current situation. The collapse of the Ottoman Turk's 400-year rule left an impoverished and backward Egypt, Arabia, and Syria in which the current Palestine was a Syrian province. In contrast, the Arab nations are draining the Western world's coffers with the sale of millions of oil barrels. This has given them the economic capability to purchase the most advanced weaponry that rivals that in the Western countries, and this has made these nations from the era of the Sykes-Picot treaty to be military upright.
Consequently, it is not clear why the Arab nations cannot make use of these arms to topple a tyrannical and homicidal leader like Assad. This shows clearly that the Western nations have over-extended their patronage to the level of moral infantilization. If indeed the photos of the gassed children were something concrete to go by, the same reaction would have been elicited in Cairo, Riyadh, or Istanbul. The silence of the leaders in the Muslim world indicates differing approaches to world conflicts, and the same has been echoed by Chinese and Russian nations when they advocated complacency in dealing with the Syrian allegations (Russo, 2013). The use of Tomahawk missiles would bring a solution to a government under the threat of being toppled by rebel groups. It will only make the problem worse for a war-ravaged and decimated country. The Western countries should allow the Arab nations to speak and solve their problems independently as no military intervention can address these issues. The whine of cruise missiles should not be used as a precautionary tactic by the West as this creates the need for the Arab worlds to arm themselves in readiness for retaliatory attacks. To overcome these tribulations, the Arab world has to develop a loud moral voice to silence the Western nations, and in this way, they will be in charge of their destiny while achieving peaceful resolutions.
After the death of Kim Jong II the Western media displayed footage of people crying, which in a way was meant to be negative publicity since it was possible to show people praising his leadership. Thus showing the North Korean populace in emotional distress was just meant to further the infantilization of the nation. This has created a situation where the current regime appeals to the emotions of already infantilized people. This culture has helped North Korea to weather the economic crisis and to improve the loyalty of its citizen (Kivimäki, 2012). The North Korean media recently released stamps commemorating Kim Jong II former North Korean leader who would have turned 72 if he were still alive. The stamps showing the deceased leaders as a child indicated stern and creepy motives, and this move was part of a larger plan to continue infantilizing Kim after his death in late 2011. In the same light, the state media has continued to play Kim’s toddler and adolescent years meant to portray him as a child instead of an adult.
Political cartoonists’ have also not been spared they portray North Korea as infantile and irrational have been on the rise. The nation is portrayed as a baby holding nuclear nukes despite being in the hands of a youthful president Kim Jong Un. Politicians and analysts have also voiced these hyperboles by the cartoonist as well who should not engage in such falsification. Further, the Chinese view the North Koreans as being childish being led by an ill-mannered child as their president and some US politicians have been attracted to the stereotypic comments as was seen by Hillary Clinton in 2009 accusing North Korea of acting like an unruly kid (Feffer, 2013). The most recent tensions escalation prompted the Obama administration to declare that North Korea required a resolute parental response while sending B-52 and B-2 bombers to conduct a mock attack.
In conclusion, foreign policies and political affiliation have played a great part in the development of infantilization in political scenes. However, it has been left in the hand of the “superpowers” that practically walk the talk, and this may be due to their economic and military superiority. This explains why Barber (2008) warns that if infantilization will not be controlled and curtailed it will not only undo the benefits of democracy but also those of capitalism itself. ...Download file to see next pages Read More