Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Trace the roots of conflict in Syria. Which theory of international relations can be applied to understand this concept? Justify your answer.
AbstractSyria ranges an graciousle opportunity for Inter field of study transaction because of the spirit of the strife representing cardinal combating ideologies, that is to say realism and revolutionism. The need for intervention by the world-wide society is clear, with calmness negotiations consistently failing. This paper investigates the constitution of the booking as resulting from a complex touch on of socio- economical factor outs, compound by authoritarian rule by the soil. Inter topic transaction can be employ as a hypothetic explanation to determine the role so in aiding the peaceable answer of the contradict. entranceThe world currently appears to be in a unceasing separate of conflict with ongoing cont shuttings worldwide, about garnering more than media forethought than others. John F. Kennedy was famously quoted as aphorism that there is a nonher kind of warf be vernal in its intensity, ancient in its base carried out by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents and assassins, in which we seek to achieve victory and eroding the opp championnt instead of challenging him. It leverages the discontent. Syria is an use of this kind of war, where conflict began years ago, eventually trans stochastic variableing into a accomplished war. The opposition fought against the bilked g everywherenmental relation beef upy leading to large rime of genteelian casualties. Various theories of planetary relations (IR) atomic number 18 applicable to the conflict in order to understand the nature of the war betwixt rebels and the national authoritarian system. This testify aims to apply IR system to the Syrian conflict to gain a deeper sympathy of the theoretical aspects and the conflict respectively. The proposed theoretical practical application includes interventionism and the triple traditions theory. The underlying cause of the conflict is a complex machinate of factors, including semi g overnmental repression, a n uneven economy, corruption and a frightful drought, and for the purposes of IR, certain countries grant an interest in ensuring that the fleck in Syria remain contained with wear being given to both sides of the conflict. by application of the theory to the totality of the conflict, the relevancy in that locationof entrust be clear. recital and Background of the ConflictThe ruling policy-making system in Syria began in the 1970s with the Bashar family, who has historically ru direct through coerce and extreme authoritarianism. The current leader, Bashar al-Assad acceded leadership in 2000 relying on armed oppression and intelligence information apparatus provided by the Baath Party as swell as leading fear families (Manfreda, 2012). With the ruling organisation controlling the media and because controlling the information available, the opposition demanded the dusk of the ruling party and a overbold beginning for Syria contained in the Damascus contract of 2005 ( Efrat, 2012). The conflict in Syria began in 2000 where there was a outgrowth panorama of governmental and social change fol menialing the stopping point of Hafez al-Assad. The authorities monopoly of everything has set up an authoritarian, totalitarian and clubbish regime that has led to a inadequacy of political sympathies in ball club, an economic break down and exacerbating crises of every kind (Efrat, 2012).The expectation of the people was that this authoritarian rule would end with Hafezs death. However, ruling index number remained gruelling in the Bashar family, compounding the already corrupt political repression of Syria.Living conditions pass overd to turn down and despite widespread objection to the ground, more civilians accepted the regime for fear of and violent oppression. This social situation was exacerbated by a persistent drought, which all plainly destroyed the agricultural sector with curiously bad conditions in northern Syria. This in turn saw a satisfying reduction in the GDP of the artless and widespread migration to cities away from rural diligence (Efrat, 2012). With the deteriorating prevailing socio-economic conditions, civilians began using new media as a style of organizing themselves politically in order to project their opinions heard, demanding real reforms (Efrat, 2012). The conspiracy of economic, political and intrinsic resources factors in Syria is not favourable for a positive societal outcome. A risk assessment for the earth is classified CC for Sovereign risk, money risk, banking-sector risk, economic structure and D for political risk (EIU, 2012). With the rising intensity of the civil war, more extensive international sanctions entrap pressure on public monetary resource and sanctions on the Central Bank of Syria continue to depreciate the currency even notwithstanding (EIU, 2012). Further economic free fall is see through the reliance on petroleum exports which has led to a partial clash of financial markets, as the E.U has imposed an embargo on oil exports from Syria which has led to a resultant minimizing of oil production. Previously, Europe has purchased over 95% of the total oil exports in Syria and therefore this embargo has had a valuablely negative effect on the economy. This has led to a decline in enthronisation in the country as companies put in oil exports in Syria impertinence legal consequences (Blas, 2012). Stocks ask seen massive decline in recent years with over half the value being addled this year along (Legget, et al., 2009).The conflict has seen several(prenominal) phases over the years and is constantly evolving. However, these changes demand effectively seen a concentration of riches in the ruling family, and their cronies and allies, effectively stock-still disenfranchising the nation. The situation has deteriorated to much(prenominal) an extent that ideological differences have resulted in a constant violence with no cle ar diplomatic re rootage which has led to an increased mesh by the international community. outside(a) dealingsarguably, there be a turn of theoretical concerns in IR that atomic number 18 applicable to the conflict in Syria. These are applicable as a nub of deepening the current understanding of the conflict, which whitethorn lead to the development of an equitable solution. As the world moves towards globalization, IR becomes more important and one can argue that these represent the need to have firm principles to learn and balance competing interests betwixt nations, as well as competing interests within a circumstance nation, such as Syria. IR hitherto plays a broader global role in ensuring that relations betwixt countries are unploughed at a diplomatic take aim for the greater good of all countries in the international community (Goldstein, 2007).The three approximately traditions theory is of obvious relevance to the Syrian conflict because of the duality betw een realism and revolutionism in the conflict. Wight (1991) argues that all leading ideologies in IR fall within the three traditions of realism, rationalism or revolutionism. Realism includes ideologies such as anarchy, power politics, conflict, warfare and pessimism, whilst diametrically opposed to this is revolutionism which includes perspectives of humanity, revolutionary change, anti- democracy beliefs and utopianism. Rationalism waterfall between these two extremes and essentially for the purposes of IR, these theories are to an extent co-dependent as they are partial in isolation and are costless as traditions rather than exclusive (Dunne, 1993). Arguably therefore, there is a need for a balance of these traditions, and a society which is found on either extreme is one that will necessarily breed conflict.The three traditions theory sees application in the Syrian context, particularly when recalling the conflict of ideology between the ruling regime and the opposition. Real ism as the controlling ideology of the Bashar regime is the disciplining factor in Syria with the opposition representing the revolutionary tradition. The press out arguably represents an extreme realist perspective, with complete ignorance of the international community and the assertion that they exist as a sovereign put forward in isolation refusing to acknowledge accountability in the international community. Realists emphasize elements of anarchy, power politics and warfare (Wight, 1991), pessimistic of human nature and exploitative of the less powerful. This is a growing trend in the Syrian conflict, with an change magnitude disregard for the well-being of the people in Syria for financial advantage of the ruling family (Taylor, 2012). showdown forces contradict the realist tradition by the actuation of revolutionist ideology, setting goals for the freedom and fulfilment of humans. Revolutionists argue that in order to do this, the class system needs to be overthrown wi th a classless society established (Marx, 1967). By abolishing a classless society, humans would again be united and there would be no need for states or international relations. To an extreme, revolutionist ideas see humanness at the center, claiming a world society inclusive of everyone. The existence of these two ideological extremes represents the greatest roadblock in the resolution of the Syrian conflict, which necessitates the need for international intervention, because of a miss of willingness to compromise between the state and the opposition. Again, this represents the applicability of the three traditions theory, as arguably the social movement of the international community in the resolution of the conflict represents the rational tradition presence. This factor that there will be a compromise between the controllers of the state resources, i.e. the state on the one hand, and domesticatedated society on the other, as delineated by the opposition.The consequence o f a dominant realist ideology is that the state will not participate in IR unless it represents a substantial investment in state outcomes, essentially meaning that the Syrian government will not engage in treaties that are not specifically to their advantage. A shift in favour of the domestic population removing state power arguably is not in the interests of a realist ideology and therefore will not be respected for the purposes of IR. Syria can be draw as a weak post-colonial state, categorized by a wrong economy, a lack of coherent national economy and lack of sustaining basic levels of welfare and resources provided to the population (Saul, 1974). The Syrian people in rural areas have an extremely low standard of living, concentrated on traditional, yet defective agriculture and significant dependance on world markets and external economic interests. There is little state genuineness as a result of uneconomical and corrupt administration with a lack of concern for public o pinion virtually the government and no significant efforts do to increase the perception of state legitimacy. Post-colonial states have often shown vulnerability towards violent conflicts as a result of corrupt state institutions, authoritarian rule and the use of natural resources as a means of backing the economy without engagement of the national population and as a result, spiraling socio-economic conditions with no clear agenda for improvement thereof. This has plagued evolution nations globally and is referred to as the resource curse. The presence of IR in these conflicts essentially forms a middle ground for the establishment of legalize state institutions in order to midway the extremes of realist and revolutionist ideological differences.In plus to the three traditions theory, interventionism also adds depth to the conflict. Interactions with Saudi-Arabian Arabia, Russia, the States, France and Britain have arguably been aimed at the treatment of the economy, socie ty or personal business of other nature in Syria. With the civil war in Syria, both sides of the conflict have been receiving aid from external parties. Saudi Arabia for example supports the opposition with speculation that it is a means of breaking international relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Syria. In doing so, they are ensuring that the balance of power does not arrive at Iran, using their oil wealth to arm the Syrian opposition, although not directly involving themselves in the conflict (Manfreda, 2012). On the other hand, the Syrian government benefits from a relationship with Russia, where the Russian government provides weapons in the name of national defense and security. Incidences in international affairs has seen Russia and China using their veto power in the coupled Nations Security Council to bar a resolution condemning the Syrian government for violent suppression of anti-government protests (Grand setting, 2012). disdain aid being used as a f orm of international political leverage, Syria has also found itself at the nerve of international relations for the purpose of maintaining some measure of international diplomacy and peace measures, where they have been forced into quasi-peace agreements. In 2005, France and USA pressured the Syrian army to withdraw multitude from Lebanon. More recently the United ground and the United States of America, amongst other Hesperian states have been increasingly interact in the civil war providing aid in the form of communications, logistics and advice. The expectation however is that the involvement in the conflict will develop into more active intervention, such as the United Kingdom asking Syrian rebels to set out a vision for how a post-Assad Syria could be governed (Blitz, 2012).ConclusionIt is clear that interventionism exists as a form of IR with regards to Syria for two apparent reasons. The first is to gain some form of political advantage, although arguably this is a seco ndary concern as the situation becomes more severe. These countries are therefore intervening in the conflict through prep of aid as a means of gaining some form of international dicker power to shape future international relations. The second concern, which arguably forms the basis of Western intervention is in the interests of the international community generally, namely the protection of peaceful relations in international affairs. Although the effectiveness of these measures carcass to be seen, clearly there is no obvious solution to the conflict in Syria, and to the extent that the three traditions theory remains without a complimentary equilibrium and as a result IR is used to provide the diplomatic compromise between realism and revolutionism, it is arguable that without IR peaceful compromise will never be reached. Although it is not clear whether IR will provide an equitable solution to this conflict, it is unequivocal that the opposition and state forces in Syria are u nable to reach a solution internally and the only realistic solution therefore is reliant on IR theory to attempt to resolve the conflict in the absence of any other practical solution.BibliographyBlas, J.(2012). 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