Internaitonal Relations
...to the state its direction again to the exclusion of the will of the individual. Wallerstein discusses a capitalist world economy describing the influence with which it places constraints on individuals. “We are, as you see, coming to the essential feature of a capitalist world-economy, which is production for sale in a market in which the object is to realize the maximum profit. In such a system production is constantly expanded as long as further production is profitable, and men constantly innovate new ways of producing things that will expand the profit margin.” (Wallerstein, 132). Additionally, in this line of reasoning, states must maintain a status quo in regard to their relationship with other states. For example, a state can either out compete another economically or they can fight to sabotage its neighbor for achieving their goals so that it remains in balance. Morgenthau refers to states that even resort to keeping their closest competitors divided and weak economically. (125) One of the biggest strengths of the states view is that they think everything that happens with other states is predictable. So basically we can tell what other states are going to act by their resources. For example we can tell that Africa is not a threat because of their resources. Africa is dealing with issues such as aids and poverty, and individuals aren’t deciding this, it’s just how their state happens to be. Africa’s leaders can’t take over because of constraints on their states. One of the biggest weaknesses of the states view is that it doesn’t realize the charisma of an individual can affect the behavior of a state; charisma is stronger and can overcome the restraints of a state. An example would be either Hitler or North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il, who influences his whole country’s decisions. The states view does not explain a dictator, and a dictator does what he wants as an individual without constraints. In a discussion of the impact of individuals on states actions, a number of areas are important to consider. Leaders of a state are foremost in this discussion. Both external conditions and the effect of the personality factor must be considered. According to our text, when states are young, in crisis, or collapsed leaders have the opportunity to provide a powerful influence. “Scholars of international relations have begun to talk not only about different kinds of states – democracies, transitional democracies, and autocracies – but also about how domestic political pressures can help to define the state – strong, weak; stable, unstable; cohesive, fragmented; satisfied, revisionist. And they have started to emphasize that government leaders have some choice in the roles that their states plan in international politics.” (Herman and Hagan, 182) In situations where the state is a dictatorial regime, individual leaders have the freedom to direct the course of the state as they see fit. There are few constraints in this situation. In a study done by Herman (The Individual, Chapter 6, 142) it was found that key personality characteristics influence a leader’s orientation toward policy. “Based on (leaders) perceptions and interpretations, they build expectations, plan strategies, and urge actions on their governments that conform with their judgments about what is possible and likely to maintain them in their positions” (Herman and Hagan, 183). Other individuals and groups also have the possibility to have influence according to these theorists. Private individuals and the mass public both fall into this category. Jimmy Cartor is an example of a private individual that is frequently involved in international affairs. According to the text (Mass Publics, 152) “Publics do have general foreign-policy orientations and specific attitudes about issues that can be reveled by public-opinion polls. Sometimes these attitudes reflect a perceived general mood of the population that leaders can detect”. Religion is an example of this and is becoming a larger issue both in the U.S. and other countries. According to Huntington (165) “In much of the world religion has moved in . . . often in the form of movements that are labeled ‘fundamentalist....