History and Reality of Conflict:
Ukraine Is a War Without Endgame And it’s not clear how any side intends to avert disaster.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/ukraine-is-a-war-without-endgame.html
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/ukraine-is-a-war-without-endgame.html
History Lesson:
https://vivekjayakumar.blogspot.com/2022/03/history-lessons-russia-ukraine-conflict.html
Human Resilience Amidst the Horrors of War:
https://vivekjayakumar.blogspot.com/2022/03/human-resilience-amidst-horrors-of-war.html
https://vivekjayakumar.blogspot.com/2022/03/history-lessons-russia-ukraine-conflict.html
Human Resilience Amidst the Horrors of War:
https://vivekjayakumar.blogspot.com/2022/03/human-resilience-amidst-horrors-of-war.html
IR Theories and Debates:
An International Relations Theory Guide to the War in Ukraine
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/08/an-international-relations-theory-guide-to-ukraines-war/
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/08/an-international-relations-theory-guide-to-ukraines-war/
Stephen M. Walt, the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University, notes:
The world is infinitely complex, and by necessity we all rely on various beliefs or theories about “how the world works” to try to make sense of it all. Because all theories are simplifications, no single approach to international politics can account for everything that is taking place at any given moment, predict exactly what will happen in the weeks and months ahead, or offer a precise plan of action that is guaranteed to succeed. Even so, our stock of theories can still help us understand how the tragedy in Ukraine came about, explain some of what is happening now, alert us to opportunities and potential pitfalls, and suggest certain broad courses of action going forward. Because even the best social science theories are crude and there are always exceptions to even well-established regularities, wise analysts will look to more than one for insights and retain a certain skepticism about what any of them can tell us.
The world is infinitely complex, and by necessity we all rely on various beliefs or theories about “how the world works” to try to make sense of it all. Because all theories are simplifications, no single approach to international politics can account for everything that is taking place at any given moment, predict exactly what will happen in the weeks and months ahead, or offer a precise plan of action that is guaranteed to succeed. Even so, our stock of theories can still help us understand how the tragedy in Ukraine came about, explain some of what is happening now, alert us to opportunities and potential pitfalls, and suggest certain broad courses of action going forward. Because even the best social science theories are crude and there are always exceptions to even well-established regularities, wise analysts will look to more than one for insights and retain a certain skepticism about what any of them can tell us.
Introducing Liberalism in International Relations Theory
https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/18/introducing-liberalism-in-international-relations-theory/
https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/18/introducing-liberalism-in-international-relations-theory/
John Mearsheimer on the Ukrainian crisis
https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/03/11/john-mearsheimer-on-why-the-west-is-principally-responsible-for-the-ukrainian-crisis
https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/03/11/john-mearsheimer-on-why-the-west-is-principally-responsible-for-the-ukrainian-crisis
John Mearsheimer and the dark origins of realism
https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2022/03/john-mearsheimer-and-the-dark-origins-of-realism
Historian Adam Tooze:
“In so far as ideas can actually influence international relations, given the determinative force that Mearsheimer accords to geography, economics and military power, the most that one can hope for is to bring decision-makers and the general public to recognise each other’s interests and spheres of influence and pull back from unnecessary confrontation. What realism means in this context is clarity about the underlying structure and a resigned acceptance of its logic”.
https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2022/03/john-mearsheimer-and-the-dark-origins-of-realism
Historian Adam Tooze:
“In so far as ideas can actually influence international relations, given the determinative force that Mearsheimer accords to geography, economics and military power, the most that one can hope for is to bring decision-makers and the general public to recognise each other’s interests and spheres of influence and pull back from unnecessary confrontation. What realism means in this context is clarity about the underlying structure and a resigned acceptance of its logic”.
They Predicted the Ukraine War. But Did They Still Get It Wrong?
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/opinion/ukraine-russia-invasion-west.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/opinion/ukraine-russia-invasion-west.html
NATO’s membership rules invite conflict — and benefit Putin
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/02/22/natos-membership-rules-invite-conflict-benefit-putin/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/02/22/natos-membership-rules-invite-conflict-benefit-putin/
David Brooks:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/opinion/ukraine-russia-awoke-world.html
The creed of liberalism is getting a second wind. There’s a school of academic realists who imagine that foreign affairs is all about cold national interest, conducted by chess master strategists. But this week we saw that foreign affairs, like life, is a moral enterprise, and moral rightness is a source of social power and fighting morale.
Francis Fukuyama: Putin’s war on the liberal order
https://www.ft.com/content/d0331b51-5d0e-4132-9f97-c3f41c7d75b3
The creed of liberalism is getting a second wind. There’s a school of academic realists who imagine that foreign affairs is all about cold national interest, conducted by chess master strategists. But this week we saw that foreign affairs, like life, is a moral enterprise, and moral rightness is a source of social power and fighting morale.
https://www.ft.com/content/d0331b51-5d0e-4132-9f97-c3f41c7d75b3
