POL326Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Democratic Peace Theory, Kenneth Waltz, Berlin Wall
15 Mar 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
States can only secure their own security by amassing more and more power. Imbalance makes war inevitable: this imbalance is understood to be permanent. International multi-polar system, bi-polarity: berlin wall, dissolution of the soviet union. States are rational actors: they are rational actors because they do not have the luxury to indulge in irrational acts. Disciplined by international system: irrational states are disciplined by the international system because irrational states quickly disappear from the international stage. Regarded by many as an act of irrationality. Expected result and reason for intervention in vietnam: domino theory: no other dominos followed after vietnam (cambodia, laos, etc did not follow) At the time, it may have been a rational move by the usa. Usa faced no need to face war of necessity. In the absence of threat, policy becomes capricious. More possible to engage in speculation about how to advance american interests.
