A political Science Question, any opinion welcome...

[youngdem]

This question was brought up in my "International Relations" class:

Why do nations with such different geographical conditions, cultures, and political systems behave so much alike? Agree or Disagree? Support your answer:)

[MASSAFRA]

1. You have to define

your terms. What makes the countries so much alike? Most of Europe and then the United States has been influenced by the Roman Empire. While most of the Middle East was probably influenced by the Ottoman Empire.

[youngdem]

2. That was my reply in class...

to the question, it was not well defined. It depends on what aspect is being looked at.

[bonzotex]

7. I hate those kinda questions , but it's vague for a reason

The Prof wants you to think about whether Nations behave the same or not and if so, how and why. It's deliberately vague to test how broadly you can look at the question and how you narrow it down enough to form an answer.

I posted my ideas lower in the thread. Have fun!

[wurzel]

3. You mean if their country is invaded by a foreign power?

Of course they all act alike!

[youngdem]

5. Oh, I wish I would have thought of that one:) Funny!!!

[bonzotex]

4. Nations are led by elites.

Like it or not people with wealth, education and power tend to dominate Governments of whatever ideology. Government is mostly about how resources get collected and redistributed. The people at the top, not surprisingly, make sure that a nice cut of that redistribution goes to their friends, family and supporters.

Those are the elites. In Jared Diamond's Book Collapse, he calls the elites "kleptocracies" (Klepto = to steal) I don't know if he coined the term, but it's a good one and his book is a great read.

A successful kleptocracy steals just enough to stay in power but not enough to get overthrown by the pissed off masses.

Ok to answer your question:
Rich powerful elites have more in common with each other than they do with the people they rule over. From the days of Tribal Chiefs to Kings and Queens to today's Prime Ministers and Presidents, wealthy powerful people respect other wealthy powerful people more than the people they rule over. They have more in common.

They keep their money in the same investments. They've often gone to the same schools, Their kids go to the same schools, they visit the same cities and stay in the same hotels, even screw and marry each other without much regard for their ethic, cultural differences. They wear the same clothes, speak the same languages, vacation in the same spots. Their fortunes and futures are tied together. This is tue of elites in all areas: Science, Culture, Industry, Business, Government. The one thing they have most in common is the absolute worst thing that could happen to them is to be deprived of wealth and the power to remain wealthy.

Thus, the Nations they rule tend to behave in similar ways. Each National elite is trying to stay in power so they can "redistribute" more to themselves, their friends, family and supporters. They follow economic policies and alliances that support that goal. The "Nation" is just a vehicle driven more or less successfully by that Nation's elites. What is successful at keeping elites in one Nation in power is mimicked by other Nations until a more successful model arises.

Thus "Nations" often behave the same despite geographical conditions, cultures, and political systems. When they fail and suffer revolution, new elites arise and try to mimic what they see as a successful model that will keep them in their new station.


How's that? I won't do all the work for you, but you can definitely build a thesis on this by plugging in historical examples.

[youngdem]

9. Very impressive....

I did not think that the question could be answered properly."Nations" today seem so vastly different from one another (or maybe ours is the outcast). historically can they be compared? yes. But to generalize a question as it was put to me I could not compare the current nations. Economically, socially, religiously, ect..most seem to differ greatly. Most leaders today in the " free" world would like to rule in what ever fashion they see is right for their people, they do not like the idea of another "nation" telling them what they can or can not do.So I had to disagree with the question, it was to vague, I wish it would have had emphasis on one general idea.


Thank you, I might try to expand on your idea.

[bonzotex]

11. you get it, ...its a vague question that can be answered ...

...with a big picture response. Nations are artificial constructs for the most part. They are ideas more than concrete things.

They are more the same than you think and I bet thats the idea the prof is trying to hit on.

Couple of easy examples. France and Britain. Very different in some ways, fought lots of wars, but their behavior as Nations, especially during the Imperial periods say 1830s to 1939, their foreign and domestic policies were strikingly similar in effect despite alleged differences in their governmental forms.

A more politically conservative example. Why do Nations with no democratic tradition aspire to become democracies...more specifically Representative Democracies or Republics. Are these types of governments inherently better for the people in that Nation or just better for certain emerging elites it that Nation?

A more exotic pair of examples. United States and Russia, and later the USSR. Very different cultures, very different histories, but some similarities. Both expanding across a resource rich but undeveloped continent, having to subdue and control indigenous peoples. Both got into the overseas empire game late with varying limited success. During the cold war both nations fought each other with technology races and arming client states to fight surrogate wars. They competed in offering expensive development projects in client states. Very different ideology, but surprise! surprise!, these development projects usually generated more profits for the Superpower than the host Country. Smaller Nations copied one or the other superpower for a variety of reasons but often it had nothing to do with what would make their nation stronger, but rather which "system" would keep it's elites in power.

The USSR failed and it's new elites are trying to copy the US capitalist paradigm. It goes on....

[newswolf56]

6. Because most countries are run by omnipotent oligarchies...

whether malevolently capitalist and therefore intrinsically predatory (as in America and Europe) or malevolently self-sustaining and therefore murderously defensive (as in the late Soviet Union).

[bonzotex]

8. omnipotent oligarchies? wow! I just said "elites"

You have a more vitriolic style, I like it!

[youngdem]

10. That was good, this should be a fun class...

if I do not get an F, for being "too far left". I can not get a feel for this professor, I think he hates both parties. I wish they had a google function to check political preferences:)

[bonzotex]

12. Don't worry about the prof's ideology

Use a logical framework, use good examples and defend your argument. Left or Right, College profs love that shit if for no other reason than so many of their students can't do it.

Good luck!

[newswolf56]

13. bonzotex made a good point: logic and copious footnoting usually...

trump professorial politics, and even if they don't, you've got yourself a solid basis for an academic appeal. The one thing that might be hard is finding good examples of American oligarchic excess: they tend to get purged from even the better histories. Hence here's a starting point: Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States (Harper & Row, NY: 1980) -- though I think Zinn has since published an updated version.


Edit: grammar.

[Debs]

14. Its a natural consequence

Of power and the protection of priveledge. So countries no matter their cultural and resource differences still use the AMOUNT of power they have in the same ways. They still protect the priveleges of the elites in similar ways. IF they have enough power they try to control whatever natural resources they can of their own and their neighbors. IF they have little power they try to allow the elites to control whatever resources THEY have. Its THAT dynamic that makes for the similarities.