PS 114 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Risk Aversion, Groupthink, Syrian Civil War
13 Feb 2017
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Understanding conflict: the nature and causes of war. All states are either preparing for, recovering from, or engaged in war. - hans morgenthau. Max weber the decisive means for politics is violence. Realists war as an instrument of conflict resolution. Liberals war is a disease; cooperation the cure. Us - trillion, 2. 5 million dead and wounded since 1789. Globally 600 significant wars since 1500. 4 billion direct and indirect casualties in modern era. But while persistent, war is still rare. Vast majority of disputes resolved peacefully usually does not come to war. Hardly any war in any set of relationships. Last time two great powers went to war with each other: wwii. Currently longest period of great power peace in the international system, Relatively uncommon given the number of states and nonstate groups that could over 70 years theoretically be fighting. This is true historically as well war is a rare event.
