Dissolution of International Boundaries
The dissolution of international boundaries as a potential consequence of globalization is a complex and multifaceted issue that would have profound implications for nationalist, separatist, and terrorist groups, including the Islamic State and Hezbollah. For example, Antonsich (2017) gives what could be taken as a rather foundational understanding of the nation as an imagined community that is deeply tied to the concept of a bounded territory. This perspective shows that boundaries are needed for identity to take shape. Indeed, from this point of view, the dissolution of international boundaries would fundamentally challenge the traditional notion of the nation-state, which is predicated on clear territorial demarcations. For groups like Hezbollah, which is rooted in a specific nationalistic and territorial identity, the erosion of boundaries could spell the end of the territorial claims that are central to their ideology and political objectives.
Likewise, in his analysis of the Islamic State in "Geoforum," Jabareen (2015) discusses how this group has sought to establish a new territorial caliphate, which inherently relies on the control and demarcation of territory. Again, territorial control and boundaries are linked to
The absence of international boundaries would disrupt the Islamic State's agenda of social transformation and control, which is necessarily territorially defined. Without the legitimacy conferred by control over a specific territory, the group's ideological and practical basis for governance and the imposition of its...…potentially undermine the territorial claims of groups like Hezbollah and the Islamic State, as the social and political landscape would no longer be aligned with traditional territorial units.
In other words, the dissolution of international boundaries as a result of globalization could have a significant impact on nationalist, separatist, or terrorist groups. The undermining of territorial claims could weaken the ideological and practical foundations of groups like the Islamic State and Hezbollah, potentially leading to a diminishment of their influence and operational capabilities. However, it could also lead to new forms of identity and community that transcend traditional territorial boundaries, potentially giving rise to new types of social and political organizations and conflicts. The ultimate impact would depend on how…
