International Order an Increasingly Liberal

¶ … International Order an Increasingly Liberal One?

Statement of the Thesis

Issues Discussed in the Literature

CHAPTER 3 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, CLOSING THOUGHTS

Closing Thoughts

Is the International Order an Increasingly Liberal One?

Due in large part to the course of human events, helped along by international politics, and always driven by the pursuit of wealth and power, the international order has undergone many changes over many years. With the position of the international order in mind, the question arises as to whether the international order is an increasingly liberal one. This question is explored in this paper, along the guidelines that follow.

The researcher began this study and subsequent thesis in order to adequately determine whether the international order is an increasingly liberal one. By developing an understanding of the magnitude of liberalism and its impact on the worldwide socioeconomic climate, conclusions can be drawn as a basis for determination as to the degree of liberalism present in the international order.

THE METHOD

The researcher has utilized an extensive variety of written works on the subject of outsourcing as research material, in addition to the course work that has been undertaken in the subject matter. Information derived from these sources will be interpreted and presented along with analysis and conclusions on the part of the researcher to employ a thorough research method.

THE FINDINGS

The researcher has presented findings in a sufficiently technical, yet easily interpreted format, designed to allow the thesis to be utilized by others for primary or secondary research material. The findings are presented with thorough documentation and explanation within the text of the thesis.

Is the International Order an Increasingly Liberal One?

Chapter 1

Statement of the Problem

While this paper centers around a central question, at the risk of revealing the results of the research, an underlying problem was uncovered in the course of the research which made a huge difference in the answer to the question itself. The problem that was uncovered in the course of the research is that the classic definition of what it means to be liberal, which is to say what the early liberal thinkers intended and envisioned for the future of the liberal movement, is not was subsequently became the daily liberal model that was injected into the international order. Rather, the liberal profile and manifesto, so to speak, became distorted and misrepresented with the passage of time and the manipulation of the liberal model by activists, common citizens, and world governments.

The identification of this problem, as a result of in-depth research, added another dimension to the research conducted, formed new possible scenarios, and in the final result, contributed to the precise answering of the central question under advisement.

In summary, what can be said about the statement of the problem is that, as will become apparent as the paper moves forward, due to the distortion of the definition and direction of the liberal model, many misconceptions about liberalism have been allowed to manifest themselves, and many of those who claim to identify with liberalism, or disagree with liberalism, are mistaken because of the foundation of their principles in an erroneous set of guidelines.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to determine whether the international order is an increasingly liberal one; this determination will be made as a result of coursework completed on the topic as well as the additional research which was conducted in the preparation of this paper.

Importance of the Study

This research is relevant and important because of the impact that liberal, or conversely conservative policy has on the international order from a wide variety of points-of-view; these points-of-view will be detailed as the paper progresses, but suffice it to say at this point that this impact affects every aspect of international order. This point will be reinforced through the subsequent research.

Scope of the Study

Liberalism, which to say in terms of international order the process of letting markets for goods and world affairs in general take the course that they will with little intervention by others, has been in existence in one form or another since the early part of the 20th century, as world affairs became more prominent, given advances in communication and transportation which made international access more realistic (Robbins, 1937, p.224). The seeds of that movement were actually planted centuries before. Because of this long time existence of the concept of liberal activity in international order, this study is not merely a commentary on a passing fancy; rather, it allows for a wider scope of research, analysis, and informed conclusion, ultimately answering the central question that forms the core of this paper.

Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

Introduction

Any amount of discussion is useless if a topic is irrelevant. The essential question as to whether the international order is an increasing liberal one is multi-faceted and at times complex, with answers that are not always conclusive. These, and a myriad of other factors, make this research relevant. This being understood, the literature reviewed for this paper likewise revealed vital information corresponding to the fulfillment of the question at hand.

The Origins of a Liberal World Order

Interestingly, the origins of a liberal world order can be found in what is now being called, through the telescope of history, the "old world," which is to say the colonies of Europe as well as the established aristocracies that eventually settled in colonial living situations in North America and other lands. These early Europeans, influenced by the Enlightenment, held to the philosophy that the natural world worked in conjunction with the will of people to be free, and as a result of this freedom, it went against the nature of the human condition to be restricted by the burden of governmental regulation and the like, which is in fact the purest form of liberalism in existence (Kagan, 2002, p.4). It was also this philosophy that guided the founders of the United States of America, who in fact wished to emulate the liberal model of a society that had some governmental structure present in it, but the basic freedoms of its citizens not being oppressed by an overpowering governmental entity (Conquest, 1999, p.4). While this may seem like the opposite of what liberalism is commonly defined as today, it is. However, this is due more to a perversion of the true definition of the term liberal in the classic sense; for this reason, an in-depth explanation of classic liberal theory is in order.

Clarification of the Liberal Model

The previous section of the literature review alluded to the perversion of the original definition of liberalism, which research indicates is in fact the case. To be precise, the definition of the liberal mindset, dating back to its origins is "the furtherance of ever greater political liberty, freedom of thought, and social justice" (Conquest, 1999, p.4). This is impressive dogma to be sure, but what exactly does it mean? What it means is that the actual definition of what a liberal stands for and what the liberal movement is really concerned with, is the ability of the individual to be free from maltreatment, political oppression, and the brainwashing that commonly comes from facism or totalitarianism. With this clarification of the true meaning of the term liberal in mind, it is easier to see exactly how liberalism is a common sense approach to maintaining order in the world on many fronts and realistically could receive a warm reception in a changing world.

Renegade Liberalism's Mistaken Identity

If, in fact, the liberal model has been misrepresented for centuries, what in fact were people embracing as mainstream liberal thought? What it turned out to be is what is referred to as "renegade liberalism," which takes the principles of individual rights, freedom, and independence and uses these respectable ideals as the entre' to virtual anarchy, whereby the masses are free to pursue their own pleasures and whims with no consequences or practical evaluation of possible consequences for said actions (Ignatieef, et al., 2003, p. 258). This surely not what was intended in the conception of liberal thought and action, but evidence suggests this is what ultimately has come to fruition due to a variety of reasons. However, through renegade liberalism, it must be understood that many of the positive attributes of liberalism are discarded, and this is surely not the kind of liberalism that was espoused over the past several centuries. In fact, the proper liberal approach is more traditionally grounded in religious piety and consideration of the rights of others than it is in free thinking that disregards faith and true freedom (Cumings, 2000, p.13).

World View of Liberalism in Light of Globalisation

In the aftermath of World War I, and later World War II, much of the industrialized world found itself in ruins, and along with this, economic depression took hold. In large part because of this financial catastrophe, the nations of the world came to the conclusion that there needed to be commerce beyond the borders of their individual countries if true recovery from the ravages of war was to be realized. Therefore, there arose a need for the embracing of economic theory and political strategy that made this sort of free commerce possible (Porter, 2002, p. 44). In fulfillment of this need, the pure view of liberalism that was explained earlier was highly effective as a remedy (Miller, 1998, p.64). Under a liberal international order, free trade, political expression and human rights could be realized, in stark contrast to the deprivations and limitations of the wars that so recently threatened to destroy the entire planet.

Perhaps due to the liberalization of the international order, or in spite of it, the U.S.S.R. tightened restrictions on its economy and citizenry in the years after World War II, adding to the superpower's isolation and economic woes; eventually, however, this policy of separation and isolation eventually sealed the U.S.S.R.'s fate, and led to the collapse of Communism in the early 1990's. Because of this collapse, the international order was permitted to become even more liberal in nature, as millions of people were suddenly given the right to pursue their own economic, governmental, and daily living interests without government interference- classic liberalism personified (Foot, et al., 2003, p. 88).

Asia's Liberal Leanings

While the bulk of the literature discussed thus far focused on the world as a whole, and Europe in particular, the Asian continent also deserves discussion and analysis because of the key role that Asia has played in international order over the past several decades, and is sure to do so in more ways in the future.

Admittedly, much of the turn of Asia to the tenets of liberalism is based in economic motives. As the European Union has grown in political, and more importantly economic power, others have taken notice and desire to obtain the favor of the EU. In the case of Asia, the leaders of many of the Asian nations have realized that they will never make meaningful economic progress with any European nation if they refuse to improve upon their abysmal human rights, governmental, and environmental performance of the past. Therefore, there has been a push to improve in these areas, and as a result, a liberal mindset has prevailed in many parts of Asia, regardless of the motive for the move itself (Kausikan, 1993, p.26).

Liberal Proliferation in Light of Global Terrorism

Evidence also exists to show an increasing liberal influence in international order as a result of global terrorism, amplified to a large extent by the events of September 11, 2001, which showed that perhaps the United States was exerting too much influence and oppressing others, going against the liberal rulebook. As the U.S. has responded to September 11, in many cases through unwarranted military actions against nations that appear to have had no hand in the treachery, the international community has embraced liberalism in opposition to official American foreign policy, choosing instead to defend the human rights of the citizens of the nations invaded by the American military, and insisting that these nations be allowed to wrest themselves from the grip of American oppression and be allowed to fulfill their own destinies (Beeson, et al., 2003, p. 340). This international controversy has brought the liberal nature of the international order onto center stage.