A Liberalist World

In class, we have recently discussed realism and liberalism. Realists are only concerned about the state; liberalists are more willing to think about others rather than just the state itself. In discussion class last week, we were asked if we thought the world was realist, liberalist, or constructivist. I believe the world is liberalist for several reasons. One reason is that States, like the United States, rely on other States for military support, trade, and economic support. In a realist world, States would be relying on themselves for food and supplies while not caring what was happening to the other States. But in this liberalist world, States rely and trade with each other a lot. Realists would say that the United States relies too much on China when it comes to trade not to mention that China holds a lot of United States debt. But the relationship between the United States and China may not be as dependable as some people think. Maybe China is the one that relies too much on America and if America stopped trade with China their economy could collapse or vice versa. Any trade with another State, whether to dependent or not, is beneficial for all States. Unlike realists, when another country is in need, other States are willing to help the country that needs it. When Hatti had the earthquake hit, America sent three naval ships down with lots of supplies so the people affected by the earthquake had food, water, and other supplies. If States did not depend on each other, then States might not be able to survive on their own if a massive earthquake or hurricane struck. When it comes to threats from terrorism like ISIS, States will need to work together to deal with the threats. A realist would say to leave ISIS along because they are not a threat to his or her State. No one State will be able to take on ISIS by themselves no matter how big the military. Also, not just one State is under the threat of ISIS; everyone should be worried about ISIS. If left alone, they may gain too much power or gain too many followers. Followers for ISIS are being found all over the world and not just in the Middle East. A couple days ago, a man in Oklahoma, who had converted to Islam, got fired when he was trying to convert all his coworkers to Islam. The man later returns to his old job, kills a woman, and beheads her while also injuring another woman. Is this person a follower of ISIS, or listened to appeals from ISIS that all jihadists should attack Americans, or is this a person who was slightly crazy after losing his job? If the States do not come together to work out a plan to deal with ISIS, the situation could get out of control. The United States sending drones for air strikes can only last so long. ISIS is affecting everyone; an effective plan with everyone’s cooperation will hopefully be the solution to the problem with ISIS before another world war starts.