Ethics

Regional and cultural factors that influence the international system

There are a number of factors that influence the international system. They include geographical, economic, cultural, regional, etc. these factors do not operate independently as they are intertwined in nature. Regional factors are those that relate to a number of issues ranging from geographic to economic ones. On the other hand, cultural aspects capture different aspects relating to psychology whose aim is to alter the minds of other people.

The culture of a society or a state is a function of a number of issues. I this regard, the history of a nation influences how it relates to other actors at the international stage. For example, the United States of America has a rich history as it is a composition of individuals from diverse origins. The state is home to Hispanic, Jewish, African American, and the White populations. On this basis, the international actions like the foreign policy of the United States reflect this claim. To cite a specific example, the United States approach to the Middle East peace process offers support to the position. The United States is believed to be harboring Israel friendly peace resolutions. Through the use of its immense powers at the UN, the United States has ensured that Israel goes unsanctioned for her aggressive approach to the Palestine cause. The cultural composition of the states, which is evident that a good fraction of the Jewish population is American, may be behind this kind of relations.

Other cultural aspects include the use of music to intoxicate other cultures. Through music, the western culture has assumed dominance. Through the use of religion, Christianity, the west took control of most parts of the world especially in Latin America and Africa. The Islamic religion continues to shape relations across the globe. The establishment of cultural centers also helps in using culture to influence state relations. Finally, states like the United States hold annual visitors from various countries.

Regional influences like location and physical features of a country affect how it relates to other countries. The location is crucial especially when it comes to war. To cite an example, Afghanistan, a hilly and mountainous in landscape enjoys leverage over its enemies. This implies that countries intending to wage war with the country must consider alternative options before engaging in the act. Towards that end, the location of the country affects its international relations. Insular countries also enjoy from international commerce, this places them ahead in interstate relations. Another example during the cold war, Iran and other countries at the junction between the East and the West could not afford to be neutral on the matter. At the same time, Hungary and Slovakia could not afford to be anti-USSR owing to their location. This serves to illustrate how regional aspects contrive to influence international relations.

How cultural and regional awareness enhance military effectiveness
Cultural and regional awareness plays a critical role in military awareness. State capability is a function of both cultural and regional awareness. In reference to culture, the use of the mass media is of significant value. International broadcasting services hold the potential of greatly altering the views of people. To cite an example, Radio Free Europe, stationed at the junction of the West and the East, was used to wage war against communism. In culture, religion is also a big factor which shapes the viewpoints of people. It is little surprise that several wars are waged in the name of religion. The Alqaeda terrorist network premises its war against the United States on religion. On the other hand, the united states claim that Alqeada are holders of Islamic fundamentalism. In the ongoing Middle East chaos, pitting Israel and Palestine, alliances appear aligned on the basis of religion. It is little surprise that the United States, a predominantly Christian nation aligns itself with Israel which is also a Christian nation. On the other hand, the Arab world, which is predominantly Islamic, aligns itself with the Palestine cause, an equally Islamic group. This has led to heightening of tensions in the area and as a result, every party must be militarily prepared all the time. It should also be noted that cultural connections between the United States and the Israelite nation on the basis of the presence of a good fraction of the Jewish community in the United States may be behind the position the United States take. In reference to military strengthening, it is alleged that the United States offers both military and material aid to Israel.

As pointed in the Afghanistan case, it is in a region of leverage against its neighbors or enemies as a result, its military preparedness will be shaped by this realization. Another case of importance is the Israel one. Israel is a Christian nation submerged in Islamic republics. The Islamic countries feel that Palestine is the rightful occupant of the Gaza strip and should be allowed to operate independently. Simply put, there is animosity between the Arab states and the Israel state. Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, etc, have at one time threatened the safety of the Israel state. In such a case, the Israel state must prepare itself militarily. Through the assistance of the United States, Israel is a military powerhouse and is thought to be in position to counter the threat posed by her neighbors. The point here is that the presence of bad neighbors has made Israel to strengthen her military prowess to ensure her safety.

The regional security challenges and opportunities presented by culture
Culture as observed in this paper olds a significant place as it shapes relations among states. Culture serves to either unify or drive a wage between states. In this regard, cultural attributes due to different regions present challenges and opportunities regarding regional security.

To begin with, the culture of the United States as reflected in its sub groups imposes a duty to offer protection to nations deemed friendly to her. The Jewish sub group occasions a challenge to the United States regarding ensuring the security of the Israel state. This also provides the United States with the opportunity to develop by initiating dialogue with the Israel neighbors with a view to availing a peaceful solution to the situation. At the same time, Israel finds herself with a number of options in this engagement. Israel is faced with the challenge of ensuring safety to the citizenry. The state is equally challenged to avail a mechanism through which peace can be attained in the region. However, the challenges provide the Israelite state with an opportunity to spearhead a peace process. This can be achieved through engaging her neighbors and adopting a common ground. This is however difficult and it requires huge sacrifices to attain any progress. The challenge to offer security to the citizenry forces the Israel state to beef up security. Towards that end, Israel is bound to advance its military and security capability. On this evidence, Israel is offered an opportunity to further her military prowess.

Religion is also a factor which plays a crucial role in relations between countries as found earlier. The Islamic culture serves as a massive unifying factor for the Israel neighbors. It is believed that the fact that Israel is a Christian nation serves to heighten the animosities between these protagonists. In this case, religion, a cultural factor provides a challenge concerning relations in the Middle East. Christianity and Islam hold different parallels that can hardly be mitigated. This is a serious challenge as bridging the gap between the two religions is difficult. However, this perhaps offers the greatest opportunity. Through dialogue, the wrangling on the basis of religion can be done away with if the two parties agree to work without undue interference. This arrangement should present each religion with the opportunity to pursue its goals so long as they do not constrain the other.      

On the basis of this examination, challenging opportunities are made available to states on the strength of cultural aspects in different regions. This paper focused in the Middle East region as the location offers the best scenario where cultural and regional state aspects influence international relations. tough not exhaustive, the paper is a valuable contribution towards the understanding of regional and cultural attributes in international relations especially on how they affect military developments within states.