The Cold War Was a Revolutionary Experience - Essay Example

IS THE WORLD MORE – OR LESS – STABLE AFTER THE END THE COLD WAR? and IS THE WORLD MORE – OR LESS – STABLE AFTER THE END THE COLD WAR? The Cold War was a revolutionary experience for the contemporary global political economy. Both the Eastern and Western blocs maintained a state of tension for decades before the Cold War ended early 1990s. Amid increased tension between the two blocs, large-scale physical or military fights were avoided. However, this war revolutionized interstate, national, regional, and international relations and interactions among global political players. In light of the Cold War, the world is more stable. In the post-Cold War era, many countries embarked on domestic social, economic, and political growth and development. Particularly, both Russia and United States broke underlying war tensions that they suffered for over four decades. Shortly after World War II, the Cold War became inevitable as both Eastern and Western blocs expressed their bid to become superpowers. Massive investments in this respect crippled social, economic, and political developments around the world. As a result, rival countries focused on their enemies at the expense of the local population. After the Cold War, concerns and interests for local populations heightened. An economically crippled Russia had to strategize on social and economic growth as financial crisis loomed in the country. On the other hand, United States and her NATO allies mobilized resources for both domestic and international progress. These domestic interests and subsequent bids for global economic and political transformation changed international relations in diverse and dynamic ways. An end to the Cold War came with the dissolution of the Soviet Union (Hogan, 1992). This marked the start of a long process of diplomatic relationships among global countries. For the United States, it was time to influence global political developments as the only standing superpower. To do this, United States installed military alliances and posted troops in different countries around the world. In so doing, United States pushed for a more stable world in the post-Cold War era. The presence of U.S military in foreign states carried no war-like threats or intimidation. Rather, foreign nations welcomed the move because it favoured global peace and coherence. Critical to note, however, is that such a move was not expected to be plausible to every state that hosted U.S military personnel. The successful installation of military alliances and posting of military personnel in foreign countries was not without challenges. Amid critical underlying challenges, the presence of U.S troops around the world became evident. Throughout the 1900s, war was seemingly an endless problem. Starting with World War I, II, and the Cold War, long-lasting peace was undoubtedly elusive. After the Cold War ended, peace increasingly became the primary political objective around the globe. Led by the most influential countries in the world, global players followed in the pursuit of long-lasting peace. In the process, there was need to address key threats to national and international security. The idea was to promote collaboration and minimize war-based tensions between diplomatically related countries. In pursuit of global peace, nuclear weapon was an inevitable subject. Investments into arming countries peaked during and after the Cold War. As this process continued, nuclear weapon posed critical threat to global peace and international relations. In this respect, there was need to control, regulate, and monitor the production of nuclear weapons. Led by the U.S, United Kingdom, Germany, and other elite political economies pushed for strict regulations against nuclear weapons. Iran became a primary target in that respect. Overall, these regulatory concerns work towards making the world safer, and subsequently more stable due to the participation of many different parties in matters that affect the world as a whole. Over and above the nuclear factor, governance and leadership are more stable in the post- Cold War era. Socialist or communist political organizations have been dismantled in the better part of the world. This makes governance and leadership more people-oriented. As Šabič and Bukowski (2002) argues, liberal democracies increased after the Cold War. An increase in liberal democracies around the world translates to minimal interstate conflicts, ethnic disputes, and/or revolutionary wars (Kennedy & Hitchcock, 2000). In this respect, many countries around the globe are more stable today than they were during the Cold War. Increased levels of liberal democracy have been influential as far as world affairs are concerned. As countries become more and more liberal, so do their interactions and relations. After the Cold War, international mobility kept rising. This trend continues to be observed to date. For example, the G8 countries are home to culturally diverse populations from around the world. This cross-border movements and immigrations show the extent to which the world has become more stable. In the event of an unstable world, each country would try to eradicate inward movement of alien populations (Betts, 1998). However, today’s global interactions exhibit a scenario where intercontinental movements are the order of the day. Most importantly, the establishment of embassies and consular offices in foreign lands is a global practice today. In particular, United Kingdom’s diplomatic presence is evident across the globe. From Africa to the United States, and Asia, embassies and consular offices remain significant in U.K’s relationship with the rest of the world. The continued establishment and installation of embassies across the globe fosters international peace, collaboration, and interaction. In the process, stability becomes evident especially in the post-Cold War era. Social, economic, and political engagements played a significant role in the world after the Cold War. Countries became watchdogs over others, while social, economic, and political developments in one country are subject to the influence of the global political economy. For example, U.K economic aid for African countries helps boost social and economic progress. However, beneficiaries must comply with the terms and conditions stipulated in those aids. In the process, the relationships therein promote inter-country coherence and subsequently more stable collaborations. The prioritization of global security has also been evident all over the world. This prioritization has increasingly become a global affair. For instance, U.K’s military personnel undertake their training and subsequent drills in different countries around the world. Similarly, some foreign military agencies get combat training in the U.K. A good example in that regard is the presence of both U.S and U.K military personnel in Africa and around the world. In other words, countries have become increasingly collaborative with the rest of the world as far as peace, unity, and stability are concerned. Amid diverse and dynamic social, economic, and political developments around the world, the post-Cold War era has had its negative implications to the global community. To start with, terrorism has become a critical threat national and international security. Terrorism and insurgence remains a critical challenge in today’s global political economy. Perpetrator of terrorism also access financial and moral support from different agencies that side with their operations. This makes it difficult to address the problem from its root cause. Secondly, state failures have continued to affect the world even after the Cold War ended. Middle Eastern and African countries still suffer political unrest amid vibrant strategies and operations to promote global peace (Harrison, 2004). Moreover, communism or socialism is still evident in some countries around the globe. This observation makes it difficult for such countries to interrelate and/or interact with liberal democracies. As this happens, liberal states keep pushing for open democracy all over the world. In addition, North Korean diplomatic developments are worrying as far international integration is concerned. The country remains isolated from the rest of the world, an aspect that fails to denote global stability in terms of social, economic, and political factors. Some other countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Ukraine, and Iraq are significantly unstable (Brown, Bromley, & Athreye, 2004). This instability could infiltrate outside the region and cause critical ripples across the world. Most importantly, some countries are becoming increasingly dominant over others. A key example in that regard is the influence of G8 countries on the rest of the world. Grants and aids to developing countries also make such countries vulnerable to the control of their supporters. This interdependence exhibits both pros and cons as far as global stability is concerned. However, the current situation is not subject to the tensions that persisted during the Cold War. In addition, international laws are available to drive the relations and interactions between one country and another. The above-highlighted challenges to global stability pinpoint key practices and developments that world countries are employing to counter the underlying threats of an unstable world. For the Middle Eastern crisis, U.S presence in Iraq and Afghanistan helps in fuelling peace and regional stability. This stability subsequently becomes a benefit to the entire world. In this respect, there are efforts to counter factors that make the world vulnerable to instability. Peace missions are not limited to the Middle Eastern region only. African countries that face civil unrest have access to international support. U.K, U.S, and French troops have played an active role in restoring political order in politically unstable Libya, Congo, Sudan, and other African countries in the post-Cold War era (Berdal, 1996). These moves minimize the eruption of regional and potential international civil crisis. In this respect, lessons taken from the Cold War are employed in countering instability challenges. In light of the discussed challenges that affect global peace and stability, it has been important to undertake trade, commerce, academic, social, and political engagements either regionally or internationally. In Europe, for example, the European Union has been instrumental in promoting stability in the continent. Member countries enjoy social, economic, and political ties that enhance their unity and stability, especially through the already operational monetary union. These and other practices are observed around the world, an aspect that fosters global interconnectedness. Trade and commerce is also a unifying factor as far as global peace, stability, and interactions are concerned. Through the World Trade Organization, countries around the world access a common playing field in regards to trade and commerce. As a result, there is distribution and redistribution of resources across the globe. Furthermore, U.K-based business enterprises can operate around the world, while U.K becomes open to foreign firms at the same time. As a result, the global political system is subject to the influence of all other factors that define international relations and interactions. At the height of global stability stand diplomacy practices. In essence, diplomatic relations influence the relationships between one nation and another. In light of international security and stability concerns, exchange programs have become increasingly vital across the globe. Leaders and players in governance participate in exchange programs around the world that promote unity and shun violence, war, and political unrest between countries. These types of global interaction have further resulted in international treaties create alliances or allies in matters of international security. For example, the fight against terrorism and insurgence is a global issue today. In addition, human rights and freedoms constitute a key factor of international collaboration. The United Nations oversees the promotion of human rights and freedoms at the global level. On the same note, displaced people, refugees, and asylum seekers have access to international support under the provisions of diplomatic relations and interactions (Moore, 2007). These observations foster global integration, thus enhancing stability in the world. Contrary to the Cold War era, displaced people, refugees, and asylum seekers receive diplomatic attention in the post-Cold War era. As a result, the world has become more stable. In conclusion, events of the Cold War era remain influential in the world today. Global affairs and diplomatic relationships still draw from the lessons learnt during the tension-based war. Amid some critical challenges to national and international security, the Cold War revolutionized the world into a more stable place. Global political players are now more collaborative, integrated, and engaged in functional diplomatic relations and interactions. In this respect, the post-Cold War era exhibits a world that is more stable. References Berdal, M., 1996. Disarmament and Demobilisation after Civil Wars, London: International Institute for Strategic Studies. Betts, R. K., 1998. The New Threat of Mass Destruction, Foreign Affairs, 77, no. 1: 26-41. Brown, W., Bromley, S., & Athreye, S., 2004. Ordering The International: History, Change and Transformation, London: Pluto Press. Harrison, E., 2004. The Post-Cold War International System: Strategies, Institutions and Reflexivity, London: Routledge. Hogan, M. J., 1992. The End of the Cold War: Its Meaning and Implications, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Kennedy, P. & Hitchcock, W., 2000. Altered Strategic Landscapes in the Twentieth Century: Essays on the Making of International Order, New Haven: Yale University Press. Moore, R., 2007. NATOs New Mission: Projecting Stability in a Post-Cold War World, Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Šabič, Z. & Bukowski, C. J., 2002. Small States in the Post-Cold War World: Slovenia and NATO Enlargement, Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Read More