Political Infection

An excerpt from my latest essay, discussing the flaws in the theory and practice of collective security arrangements:

A central assumption of collective security is that overwhelming force by all the other states is sufficient to deter an aggressor, a “diffusion of power among a number of major states so that no single state will control such a large fraction of the world’s power resources as to make the task of counter-balancing it inordinately difficult” (Claude 126). Collective security fails in the case whereby a superpower nation acquires military capability far exceeding that of all other states and thereby has the wherewithal to act unilaterally in pursuing or protecting its own interests. The modern day situation of the United States’ technological and military capabilities far outstripping that of any other nation, or even of many nations combined, makes success very unlikely for nations who wish counter the actions of the United States should it turn aggressive and for example, unilaterally act to attack a poor and isolated Middle-Eastern state even when there was no compelling evidence that this state possessed weapons of mass destruction that could threaten the global peace- not that this scenario is likely to happen, of course. Collective security is incapable of securing against great power aggression.

I think my political beliefs is beginning to infect my, well, politics classes. Is this a good thing or a bad? On the one hand, the whole point of my study of politics to to understand the world and to form opinions and to discuss the dealings of states. On the other hand, it would be preferable, in a scholarly realm, to be dispassionate when attempting to analyse and critique.

Still, if any of you are going to be in London, Rome, or whereever on February 15th and don't attend the anti-war rallies taking place, I'm not talking to you for two years. I regrettably have to go to Sheffield to swim in the British Student Nationals this weekend. However, I should be at the demonstration on the 23rd at the RAF base in Fairford. See you there?

Speaking of essays:

Oppose the war? Then email your essays to Tony Blair! (and forward this email)

It came to light on Thursday that the government is relying on
plagiarised post-graduate essays to bolster its case for war on Iraq.
Its "dossier" entitled "Iraq - its infrastructure of concealment,
deception and intimidation", was posted on the Number 10 website and
hailed by Colin Powell in his presentation to the United Nations on
Wednesday. It claimed to be based on up-to-date intelligence - but
turned out to have been nicked, typos and all, from 3 out-of-date
sources, including an essay by a graduate student in California.

We're obviously very excited that students' academic endeavours are
being taken so seriously, and think it's time for students to act to
ensure that war plans continue to be "intelligence led".

So, why not send Tony Blair some of your essays?

Tony Blair posted an essay by Ibrahim al-Marashi, a student in
Monterey, California, up on his web site. Maybe he'll do the same
for yours! Why not email the web master, and attach some of your
best scholarly efforts. Don't worry too much about the relevance of
the subject - Tony and his skilled advisers are on hand to subtly
distort your words to suit their war agenda. So, whether it's Proust
or particle analysis, Geography or History, attach a copy of your
essay and send it to Number 10!

Here's what we suggest you do:

* email your essays as attachments, to webmaster@pmo.gov.uk, as soon
as possible and definitely by next Tuesday, explaining why you are
sending it.

* or even better post your essays to '10 Downing Street, London SW1'
with a covering letter (we've copied one below, and it's online at
www.srcf.ucam.org/camsaw/covering letter.doc) in an envelope
titled 'Warning: Top Secret'

* email us at info@camsaw.org.uk telling us you've done it, so we
can let the press know what's happening (please don't send us your
essays though - we don't want them!)

Neat! A forum of my writing! No more will I write essays and think that no one apart from myself and my tutor will read them!

Another grassroots movement:

There is a grassroots campaign underway to protest war in lraq in a simple, but potentially powerful way. Place 1/2 cup uncooked rice in a small plastic bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Wrap it in piece of paper on which you have written, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. (Romans 12:20) Please send this rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them." Place the paper and the bag of rice in a stamped envelope and address to: The Prime Minister Tony Blair MP 10 Downing St LONDON SW1 Post this TODAY.

Act NOW so that Tony Blair receives the rice before he makes his final decision.

Let's stop this senseless war from happening.