Liberal Democracy Today - Assignment Example

What is the biggest challenge facing liberal democracy today? Liberal democracy is making use of the democratic values and systems in a very easy-to-understand manner – one that comes naturally to the varied stakeholders, at most of the times. It is a fact that diplomacy is a distinct art, one that derives its basis from economic, financial and social perspectives. With growing age and changing economies, there is a need to better understand the financial basis of different countries and with that negotiations and diplomatic skills have really come in to the rescue of one and all. This is the need of the time and will continue to be the same till further advancements in bipolar systems of international relations are devised so as to suit the needs of all concerned. (Powell, 2004) Economic diplomacy is defined as the endeavor on the part of the countries to negotiate the right course of action which is required for the economic as well as the trade activities and processes for the different players present in the market or the industry for that matter. These could include the tactics which are there for the short term aimed as making alliances and mergers and the strategic shifts towards social development with the help of growth and cooperation hand in hand. Continuing with the same discussion, the international political and economic relations between different states and countries has promoted as well as saved the varied interests of these nations when it comes to the relevant discussion regarding the economic diplomacy. The superpowers of the world are focusing their attention on the well being of their respective economies whereby the production levels in these countries in relation to different goods and the provision of services has increased and got better in the years that have passed by. There is so much competition that a nation cannot stay at a place for a considerable period of time and it needs to evolve and change its direction every now and then. (Watson, 1991) Economic diplomacy ensures that the countries remain on their toes to the ever changing market conditions and remain attentive to the industrial amendments which happen from time to time. Thus the countries carry out their external economic relations with the help of the tool that we call as the economic diplomacy. This is not a new phenomenon in the related contexts but surely one which will stick on for years to come in the field of economic development and prosperity of nations. To state as a matter of fact, the changing role of the nations in the wake of their joining different alliances and treaties like NAFTA, WTO, IMF, EU, ASEAN and the like suggests that there is constant upheaval on the domestic and international front and that the diplomatic activities will continue to suffice in the times to come. (Krol, 2001) Economic diplomacy takes care of the factors which include aid, trade, reduction in poverty levels and lastly the economic security which at times is substituted by the term of energy security. Economic diplomacy ensures that trade and aid are promoted across a number of different channels and that there are factors made available which ensure facilitation in relation with the global growth regimes doing their bit at the development levels of all countries, no matter they hail from the segment of developed nations or the ones which are on the path of developing through a series of activities and processes. Thus, what economic diplomacy does is to guarantee that there is enough motivation in line with the improvement of the investment climates of a region or a country for that matter and that the investment and economic disputes are resolved in a proactive manner more than anything else. Then there is the aspect of negotiation amongst the bilateral treaties made in the name of investment regimes which are also taken care of, by the economic diplomacy tool. It also makes sure that intellectual property rights are protected and that there are no infringements in the name of patents, copyrights and trademark laws. What this does is to bolster creativity and maintain economic growth and prosperity over a continual period of time. The aspect of poverty reduction looks to adjust the particular country’s macroeconomic and microeconomic levels as well as facilitate in resolving the issues that crop up due to the financing needs every now and then. In the end, it is safely said that economic diplomacy plays a vital role in the provision of integrity for a country when it comes to its economic well being and basis and that the growing demands are met with in a proper and adequate way if the economic diplomacy seeds are properly sown in the country’s financial and economic infrastructure. Economic diplomacy is here to stay and will continue to benefit one and all in the times to come. Liberal diplomacy has another tangent that needs to be touched upon under its heading as it gains more importance in the world of present times since remaining positive can reap benefits for one and all than having a particular side of the story and sticking with it. It is always good to think and eventually act whilst remaining in the center and not taking anyone’s side whilst showing both the parties that the leader is with them in their hour of need and distress. (Freeman, 1997) This is a clever move and one that needs to be wisely adjusted, more so since the world today is moving ahead at a fast pace with technology pouring in from left, right and center. For the organizations, negative diplomacy and marketing should in no way create upheaval and turbulence for the people to raise fingers upon. Rather the company should find out and select certain businesses, which will help it in its smooth running (of business). There can be a number of factors, which can bring about globalization within a company’s business and also some others, which can push it towards a state of total deadlock and in some cases isolation as well. The external factors, which affect the success of the particular business, have to be kept in mind under all conditions whereby opposing the proposals given by one can easily mean the avoidance of the same shareholder or proposed party to stay away from the business which can be a huge setback. Change has to be a constant dynamic in the international arena of marketing but it has to be brought about in a cordial manner, both for the shareholders, investors, owners and the like as well as the ones for whom the business is serving, i.e., its customers and clients. Within the changing business and political domains, liberal diplomacy has literally been left at the mercy of the Information Technology tangents. There is a lot of say in the way facts are now being reported courtesy the media channels, the vast avenues with which media reports and news are proliferated and thus the whole ballgame of reaching the masses has become such an easy job that the diplomats have taken a back seat in all fairness. The role of media and that too in abundant proportions have made the diplomats somewhat redundant in their jobs and they have started to feel alienated in the world of diplomacy, which by all counts has gone out of the window. This has happened because political leaders have been able to reach the masses in a very direct manner and thus have been able to avoid the angle of diplomacy whilst reaching the masses, for whom they got elected and for whom their services would be in place. The political actors have started to feel that their voices are being heard in a better manner whilst communicating through the media channels than they would had they adopted the diplomats’ facilitation in the wake of different issues, events and subjects of political interest. It is a fact that real world liberal diplomatic negotiations are pretty distinctive from the intellectual debates and discussions. The debates are usually based on the thoughts and perceptions as well as the arguments which are raised for and against the subject that comes under debate in the first place. (Baker, 1995) However the real world liberal diplomatic negotiations are based on the premise you scratch my back, I scratch your back, which essentially means that there is a trade-off at all times within the liberal diplomatic negotiation that is taking place. Now this is a very pertinent topic that needs a lot of understanding to have and more so for a student of liberal diplomatic studies. It is also a harsh reality and one that demands a great of factual backing where the hard powers have been able to manipulate and at times sabotage the process coming on the negotiation table to diplomatically angle the related manifestos of the parties that have not been able to hold solid ground and basis within the agreement domains. Thus these negotiations have more or less been won by the hard powers – powers which have shook the basis of the other parties that are involved in a diplomatic fold nonetheless. (Callaieres, 2000) On the same token, media has been able to play its decisive part in the breaking up of democratic institutions, parties and individuals in a head on manner. Diplomacy has thus been overtaken by media outlets – channels and print houses when the latter have literally played havoc with the aims and objectives that diplomats had since they understood an idea and decided to maneuver for their own good. This is the change that the 21st century has brought upon the liberal diplomatic regimes. The biggest challenge that liberal democracy faces at present is to attain an understanding that nothing is hidden from the masses and almost everything is coming out clean and clear in front of the eyes of the stakeholders. There is absolutely nothing which could be hidden in the long run and the diplomatic regimes need to take their decisions in a pretty rapid manner so that there are no shortcomings at least on their part. These diplomats seem to find every angle within their reach and legally they find solutions which are hard to comprehend in the long run. They have a loophole to hit and that too strongly. They might not attack the losing party in a head on manner but their blow is not only decisive but also final, though the same comes to a clear cut understanding in the long run only. They find legal shortcuts so that their personal agendas could succeed in the long run and for that they are always ready to amend their stance, change their perspectives and viewpoints and find another shortcut meanwhile so that they themselves as well as their agendas could be saved for another day. For this reason, these liberal diplomats seem to understand their respective basis and on this premise, they have always been conspicuous as per their sanctity basis. (Kissinger, 1995) They have lived up to their self-proclaimed standards and they respect their diplomatic fraternity to the end limits. Due to this, they have devised a liberal diplomatic immunity regime which takes care of their reservations, looks after their rights and on this platform, they seem to hit where it hurts the most. At times, they have strongly detested the policies of the ruling regime but then again they have played it the diplomatic way and have not gone about criticizing just for the sheer sake of criticism. Progressivism is another challenge that liberal democracy faces on a consistent basis. This progressivism is the antithesis to the dictum that one knows by the name of liberal democracy in the first place. Progressivism frees the people on two different counts. The first one is the aspect of the ascribed group having precedence over the individual citizen. The second aspect is the dichotomy in the form of different groups which might include the oppressor groups in close comparison with the victimized groups where the immigrant groups are specifically targeted as the latter ones. (Martin, 1994) The challenge of liberal democracy seems to change in different diplomatic avenues as well. This is because the institutional value systems are distinctive in nature within different countries, regions and societies. Liberal democracy demands a great deal of significance from the people at the helm of affairs within that very democracy and if the same people do not bring in the much needed democratic ingredients, then it is difficult to propose a sense of ease and comfort within the liberal democratic regimes. No matter whichever form of liberal diplomacy exists within a society, the merits and demerits of the same need to be properly understood before one could remark the same as a good omen for such a society or something that is being done in bad taste. Diplomats have been guaranteed their space and their freedom in nearly every society of the world but the manner in which media has played with their livelihoods and broke news on a consistent basis has literally minimized their diplomatic perspectives. (Urquhart, 2007) They have changed their professions, explored new avenues and understood that change is the only constant within the growing age of liberal diplomacy, business, politics and the like. Diplomacy, as discussed before, could both be formal as well as informal. At the same time, its liberal and more conservative nature is apparent right from the very beginning of its institutional basis. The need is to understand what is important and how the same could be comprehended from a broader perspective more than anything else. However what is needed now is to understand as to what extent it can present factual information, news stories and reports in an authentic way. There is a dire need to understand that liberal diplomacy would not play with the sentiments of the people and it would present the above-mentioned news in a timely manner. (Eban, 1998) If it succeeds, there is some light at the end of the tunnel and thus one could expect positives coming out on the fore as far as diplomats are concerned. But if the same are not met in an adequate way, there is absolutely nothing good in store for diplomats, their trade that they do and the overall liberal diplomatic regime. In the end, it is imperative to summarize the whole discussion related with the different tangents of liberal democracy, more so because it teaches quite a few lessons to the political, business and cultural fraternities in the times much like today. Also there is a great deal of understanding related with liberal democratic values in the way these undertakings are handled on a broader level more than anything else. Liberal democracy aims to challenge the way in which status quo is thought of as well as taken in a very formal manner. It tries its best to break the tag that is attached on it and does its best to act in a very liberal and free-flowing manner right from the very onset. Bibliography Baker, James A. (1995). The Politics of Diplomacy. Putnam Adult Calliaeres, Monsieur de. (2000). On the Manner of Negotiating with Princes: Classic Principles of Diplomacy and the Art of Negotiation. Houghton Mifflin Eban, Abba. (1998). Diplomacy for the Next Century. Yale University Press Freeman, Charles W. Jr. (1997). Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy. United States Institute of Peace Press Kissinger, Henry. (1995). Diplomacy. Simon & Schuster Krol, Robert. (2001). The International Monetary Fund Deters Free Capital Flow. USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Vol. 130 Martin, Brian. (1994). Protest in a liberal democracy. Philosophy and Social Action, Vol. 20 Powell, Colin L. (2004). The Craft of Diplomacy. The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. 28 Watson, Adam. (1991). Diplomacy: The Dialogue between States. Routledge Urquhart, Brian. (2007). Are Diplomats Necessary? The New York Review of Books, Vol. 54, No. 15 Word Count: 2,513 Read More