Analysis of International Relations Book by Joshua Goldstein and Jon Pevehouse - Term Paper Example

International Relations Table of Contents Introduction 2 Gun Kills More than the Conventional Weapon of Mass Destruction 3 Gun Kills: From the pages of “International Relations” by Joshua Goldstein and Jon Prevehouse 4 Activists on Stricter Treaties Limiting Gun Control to the Conflicting Zones and their Counter Arguments 5 Arms Exporters and Costs and Benefits of Arm Exports 7 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction James Brady rightly observed on gun control, “It’s not a loss of freedom, it’s a measure to protect it”. There is always a thin line of division between the usage and implementation of weapon. The area of protecting one’s rights and self defence overlaps unknowingly to the regime of mass destruction or illegitimate desire of mankind to usurp the rights and freedom of their neighbour or fellow beings. Any means of violence or weapon that shed blood should be discarded but it has become quite evident that guns take away more lives than the weapons designed and implemented for mass destruction. The regulation of the gun control and precisely the free flow of the weapon into the conflicting zones should be strictly regulated. Many activists across the globe are trying to work out on the matter and settle it but the attempts are just like lining across a huge cumulus. The big nations or the nations who are relentlessly acting as a supplier or corridors for the smuggling of guns have to adhere to certain rigid regulations as its already high time to take much bigger strides against the free flow of guns and there is only one global mantra that puts stress on the complete ban on the illegitimate weapons before it gets too late. Gun Kills More than the Conventional Weapon of Mass Destruction Guns are more serious threat in present time than conventional weapon for mass destruction. The book “International Relations” focuses on the most contemporary international events and gives a transparent perception and clear insight to form an outlook regarding the recent happenings in the domain of economy, politics, war and diplomatic relations between the leading nations of the world. Understanding of global politics today is incomplete without the proper perception of the updated coverage of international events. Global peace is a receding term slipping fast from the clutches of all the peace-keeping organizations including the United Nations. Under this recent development of various diplomatic pressure in the Asian and African countries and also the areas of Middle East and south East Asian territories including the areas of Pan-Asian countries. With the increased threat of terrorism and counter-action to the phenomena, an increased flow of guns and other weapons are being noticed to be exchanged rigorously. It is very crucial and alarming situation to control the free flow of weapons into the conflicting zones. It is quite evident that this wide availability of guns into these conflicting zones has provided oxygen to various movements going on in a scattered and bizarre manner all over the world. Gun Kills: From the pages of “International Relations” by Joshua Goldstein and Jon Prevehouse The book “International Relations” by Joshua Goldstein and Jon Pevehouse focuses on the key events occurring world-wide that are quite alarming and demands a strict vigilance through the corridors across the globe which is manipulative of gun trouble in the areas. Also all these situations precisely demand strict laws and provisions in many countries that can act as a catalyst in the gun control measures in the world wide conflicting zones. The book becomes a useful document to understand and perceive the recent war-zones and the occurrences in those areas. Recent happenings such as War in Iraq or Iran’s programs pertaining to nuclear weapons are given due importance in terms of causes or events that aggravated free flow of guns in these areas. The book “International Relations” also focuses on the events like withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip by Israel and the conflicts between Israel and Palestine which provide enough cause and reason for the free flow of guns into these sensitive zones, views Joshua and Jon. Islamic radicalism and its consequent effect on world politics leading to agitation in Europe and paving the ground of terrorism across the globe is also a major area of discussion and importance in terms of gun exchanges across the borders and steady flow of the weapons into the area. The election which gave Africa its first women President and the effect of emergence of China as superpower which is viewed by other powerful block as a threat also somewhere provides the platform for manufacturing and sending of weapons across the borders. All these recent events are being focused in this epoch making book on global politics and diplomatic relations prevailing world-wide to show and raise an awareness against the gun control which often becomes more serious than the production of weapons used for mass destructions. All these recent events discussed in the book “International Relations” shows that weapons for mass destructions are just used as an alert or threat to each other but guns and more specifically free flow of guns are actually taking lives of many innocent people involved all over. There are many regulations for implementing the weapons of mass destructions across the globe. The agencies like Security Council of UN and other security agencies have compelled these nations who are producing it to sign various treaties. In recent past all the deaths are mostly caused by the attacks of gun compared to other weapons. The reason for this is very obvious and simple. There are no such strict regulations across the world corridors and within the conflicting zones, to stop the access of these weapons along with the use of it. Therefore, people do not hesitate to implement the weapon for threatening and alarming each other but all these activities are at the end of the day taking lives which are valuable. The regulations are not so much strict regarding gun control because there is a notion that if the weapons for mass destructions will be inflicted there would be loss of lives at a greater scale but then people are forgetting that every life is valuable and in terms of managing the threat of large scaled weapons or weapons of mass destruction, people are forgetting another primitive threat, the gun that takes life more than any nuclear attack (Goldstein & Prevehouse, 2008). Activists on Stricter Treaties Limiting Gun Control to the Conflicting Zones and their Counter Arguments Many of the activists especially from the European and Asian countries believe that open dealing of arms through major corridors surrounding the conflicting zones, which can be treated as gateway to the war zones too, should be precisely monitored and regulated. European nations have faced recent troubles through in lieu of Islamic radical groups and the countries of the South-East Asia face this problem every day. The lenient vigilance over the border areas precisely in the South-east Asian countries are relentlessly providing oxygen to the terrorist activities taking place in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Recently representatives like Jayant Prasad from India, Michiel Haasbroek from Netherlands, and Gyorgy Molnar from Hungary are some of the strong participants who advocated the regulations ought to be much stricter in the conflicting zones and there should be an organised and complete ban on the open arm dealings and passages. These significant decisions were taken in the Sixty-First General Assembly executed by the First Committee where Canada asked for a treaty in order to prevent illicit flow of small arms into the conflicting zones (United Nations, 2006). There are also activists who counter-argue against the prevention or stricter regulations on the free flow of small arms into the conflicting zones. Their points of contention are not always very much wise or feasible to be discarded or to be terminated. Smaller weapons precisely guns are quite useful for the dense mechanism and as a personal defensive weapon, it is most beneficial. Under these circumstances, just to stop terrorist activities or illegitimate killing strict actions for gun regulations cannot be taken. Also many countries draw a heavy sum of money by exporting and manufacturing weapons especially smaller weapons like guns. Under these circumstances a stricter vigilance can be a serious threat for the economy and the trading of those nations who are chiefly manufacturer or exporter of these weapons. Arms Exporters and Costs and Benefits of Arm Exports Leading arms exporters and manufacturers of weapon include United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom and China. These countries are the five permanent members of United Nations Security Council and are generally regarded as the largest dealers of arms world-wide. Also the major leaders of arms trade include Italy and Germany. These countries supply their arms generally to the third world countries mainly in Asia and Africa. As per the present trends and statistics gathered from 2001 to 2008, United States have earned 154.822 billion USD which occupy 41% of the total sale being the highest supplier in the arms for last seven years. The second position is occupied by Russia which has earned 63.823 billion USD from the business and it occupies 17% of the total sale. The third position is acquired by France which almost have done a business of 31.247 billion USD and occupied 8% of the total sales (Shah, 2009). Conclusion Like any weapon, gun were discovered for self-defence but unfortunately various illegitimate ambitions of man has transformed it into a thing that is now less used for saving and more for taking one’s life. The biblical allusion of ‘love thy neighbours’ have almost become an obsolete term and under such situation to make this world a better place for entire human race, all the leading nations across the globe both at the supplying and the receiving end should stand up together and control the illegitimate or illicit use of gun which has become a pressing threat with a higher degree of severity compared to weapons for mass destruction. References Goldstein, J. S. & Prevehouse, J. C., 2008. International Relations. Pearson Longman, 2008. Shah, A., 2009. The Arms Trade in Big Business. Global Issues. [Online] Available at: http://www.globalissues.org/article/74/the-arms-trade-is-big-business [Accessed August 10, 2010]. United Nations, 2006. Canada seeks treaty to prevent illicit flow of small arms to conflict areas as assembly’s disarmament committee receives range of new texts. Sixty-First General Assembly - First Committee. [Online] Available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/gadis3326.doc.htm [Accessed August 10, 2010]. Read More