Military Spending in the US Essay

The majority of college students in the US today, do not know what it is like to live in a nation that is not at war, and this is no different for myself. One of my own memories in elementary school was the attack on the world trade center on 9/11. I am sure that I share that memory with many others. Throughout our lives, we have known our country to be one that is constantly fighting with another. As I grow older, I realize how surrounded we are by issues concerning our military presence in other countries. I also begin to feel the consequences of our actions as a country. Much of our politicians’ time and effort is put into figuring out how to â€Å"bring our troops home† or how to â€Å"support our troops† while still keeping taxes down. In the end it is the American public who are funding our war with our taxes as well as paying the consequences with things such as raised oil prices. For my research paper I am going to discuss American military economics; it’s effects on the American public, and our current presidential candidates’ stances on military spending. The military budget is a portion of the United States’ federal budget. It is used to pay the salaries, training, and health care of military personnel. It is also used to maintain arms, equipment, facilities, funds operations, and develops and buys new weapons. According to the Department of Defense Budget for the 2010 fiscal year, the president’s base budget for spending on overseas operations was $663. 4 billion. The 2009 U. S. military budget accounts for approximately 40% of the total global arms spending. The US’s 2012 budget is 6 to 7 times larger than the $106 billion of the military budget of China. It is greater than the next twenty largest military spenders combined. Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts claims â€Å"if we do not make reductions approximating 25 percent of the military budget starting fairly soon, it will be impossible to continue to fund an adequate level of domestic activity†. Some argue that now is not the time to cut military spending. Republican historian Robert Kagan argues, â€Å"A reduction in defense spending this year would unnerve American allies and would be taken by the world as evidence that an American retreat has begun. The increased military spending since 9/11 has stimulated the US economy to a degree. However the jobs and income that it has created is offset by the massive increase in debt created. According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the defense budget has increased from $432 billion in 2001 to $720 billion in 2011, an increase of around 67 percent. Increased military spending has been funded almost en tirely by borrowing. There are many reasons why the debt has grown so much since 2001. These reasons include tax cuts, increases in other government spending, and the largest postwar recession the US has experienced. However, military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have raised annual deficits by about 1 percent of GDP, a trend that is expected to continue through 2020. Since we decided to borrow money instead of increasing taxes or cutting other spending, if war spending continues as forecasted, the country can expect to have paid about $1 trillion in interest by 2020. If the investments in the military over the last decade had been made in U.  S. education, it would represent an 18. 5 percent boost in terms of capital improvements nationwide. This would finance the investments in public school facilities required to return the country’s schools to good condition. Traditionally the Republican Party has been the more inclined towards increased national security and previous presidential candidate Mitt Romney described Obama’s plan as a â€Å"hollowing out† of the military. 2012 running mates Ryan and Romney make the point that it is Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that are the majority of the deficit. Though they are right, the American public still wants to cut spending even more than the $487 billion already cut by the Obama administration. Romney and Ryan had a plan to go in the exact opposite direction if they had won the election. They planned to boost defense spending by $100 billion, or nearly 20% in 2013. The Republican Party, otherwise known as the grand old party or GOP, traditionally follows Ronald Reagan’s stance on national defense. That stance is represented by the motto of peace through strength. Today, that means protecting America’s homeland by confronting terrorism and maintaining a defense against arising threats of nuclear power. The Republican Party is fully committed to America’s Armed Forces to make sure that they are prepared for any challenges they may need to face. While the United States is involved in various international organizations, which serve the cause of peace and posterity, the Republican Party argues that these organizations must never substitute for principled American leadership to protect our vital national interests. All of the information I gathered about the GOP’s stance on national defense was pulled directly from their official website, www. GOP. com. Current president Barack Obama has sought to end the war in Iraq and accelerate the transition in Afghanistan in part to lower defense costs. He has proposed a number of defense cuts over the next decade. Rather than following the words of a president who was in office over 20 years ago and during the cold war, the Democratic Party feels that as our threats have evolved over the years, so too should our ability to respond to them. President Obama has made significant steps to restore America’s image around the world by rebuilding strategic alliances with countries that share our values and face common threats. As far as the situation overseas, the President plans to bring home 10,000 troops by the end of this year, 33,000 by next summer, and complete the transition by 2014. Just as I did for the Republican Party, I got all of this information directly from the official website, www. democrats. org. What originally inspired my interest in this subject is when I began to notice issues such as how much our educational system is suffering across the nation. Also, with a little bit of research, I learned that the NASA budget has been cut about a billion dollars in the last three years. Yet, at the same time, the military budget is increase by about the same amount as the entire NASA budget. Maybe it’s just my nature, but I feel that it is a huge waste of time and assets to be spending most of our money fighting other countries, when we could be exploring and making discoveries for the betterment of mankind. As I mentioned earlier, the US has funded all of our wars solely on borrowing, and we have racked up quite a large amount of interest in doing so. On the other hand, a paper written by Douglas A. Camstock, Director of Innovative Partnerships Office, NASA Headquarters, and Daniel P. Lockney of Innovative Partnerships Office, NASA Headquarters, the return rate for NASA research can be as high as 32 times the initial investment. At the very lowest, they estimate that for every dollar invested in NASA, there is a return of at least seven dollars as a result of technological advances. Not only is the lack of support for research a shame for the curious minded, but it is bad fiscal planning as well. Single bombs can cost the military about one million dollars each. Here in the state of California, an average teacher’s salary is about $40,000 a year; this is one of the states with the highest averages. For the price of one bomb or missile, twenty-five teachers can be paid to work for a full year. It doesn’t take a professional economist to tell you that investing in education is well worth it. Educated adults grow up to become working, contributing members of society. Politicians seem to always be looking for ways to create jobs. What better way than for an educated individual to go out and become an entrepreneur, start a business, and hire people to work for them? A study from the University of Massachusetts in 2011 says that for every billion spent in education, about 26,700 jobs are created. Among the different departments that were researched were health care, clean energy, tax cuts, and of course education and defense. Of those five, the military had the least amount of jobs created per billion spent at 11,200 jobs. Once again, it doesn’t take an economist to recognize a poor investment. Over the course of my research paper, I learned about the details of our defense budget and military spending trends in the US as well as our overall deficit. I also found the effects that war has had on the American Public as well as on our economy. During the election I paid close attention to our current presidential candidates and their plans for our defense budget. Only the future will tell if these trends continue or whether our president will take action against our deficit and the fate of national security. I was also able to look into what sparked my interest on the topic in the first place. I got to compare our spending on the military with other departments like education and NASA research. With the President’s plan to begin our transition out of the Middle East in these upcoming years, we will see if we begin a shift to a more progressive, intellectually motivated America. As a member of our educational system as well as a proud American, I sure hope we do.

U.S. States With No Income Tax

U.S. States With No Income Tax While individuals and businesses in all 50 states pay federal income tax, residents in 41 states also pay state income tax. Seven states have no state income tax  at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. In addition, the states of New Hampshire and Tennessee tax only the interest and dividend income of their residents gained from financial investments.   Of particular interests to retired persons or those nearing retirement, while federal taxes still apply, there is no additional state income tax on Social Security benefits, withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k)s, and payouts from pensions in these nine states. State income tax is typically based on the taxable income or adjusted gross income reported on the taxpayers annual federal income tax return. Key Takeaways The states of Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not tax the incomes of their residents.The states of New Hampshire and Tennessee tax only income from interest, dividends, and financial investments.Due to the needs of these nine states to provide services and maintain infrastructure, other non-income taxes, such as sales taxes, property taxes, and fuel taxes can be higher than in states with income tax. Not Always Cheaper to Live There The fact that a state does not have an income tax does not necessarily mean that its residents pay less in taxes than residents of states with an income tax. All states must generate revenue and they do so through various taxes including income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, license taxes, fuel taxes, and estate and inheritance taxes, just to name a few. In states without state income tax, higher sales, property and other assorted taxes can exceed the annual cost of a state income tax. For example, all states except Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon currently charge sales tax. Food, clothing,  and prescription drugs are exempt from sales tax in most states. In addition to states; cities, counties, school districts, and other jurisdictions impose real estate and sales taxes. For cities that do not sell their own utilities, like electricity and water, these taxes represent their main source of revenue. Still, it is worth noting that during 2006 and 2007, the seven states with no income tax whatsoever, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, led the nation in net population growth. However, the nonpartisan  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has reported  that a states income taxes have little influence over whether people ultimately decide to live there. How Do These States Get By Without Income Tax? Without revenue from income tax, how do these states pay for the basic functions of government? Simple: their citizens eat, wear clothes, smoke, drink alcohol, and pump gasoline into their cars. All of these and more goods are taxed by most states. Even states with income tax tend to tax goods and services in order to reduce their income tax rates. In states without an income tax, sales taxes and other fees, such as vehicle registration fees, tend to be higher than in states with income tax. For example, Tennessee, where only investment income is taxed, has the highest sales tax in America. When combined with local sales taxes, Tennessee’s 7% state sales tax results in a combined effective sales tax rate of 9.45%, according to the independent and bipartisan Tax Foundation. That’s more than twice the combined sales tax rate in tourist-laden Hawaii. In Washington, gasoline prices are usually among the highest in the nation, largely due to its gasoline tax. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Washington’s gas tax, at 37.5 cents per gallon, is the fifth-highest in the country. Non-income states of Texas and Nevada also have higher-than-average sales taxes, and according to the Tax Foundation, Texas also has higher-than-average effective property tax rates.   And So, Higher Costs of Living for Some Those extra taxes help to result in higher-than-average costs of living in some of the non-income tax states. Data from the independent Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, Florida, South Dakota, Washington, and New Hampshire all have higher than the median costs of living than in most states with an income tax. So the bottom line is that there is just not enough concrete evidence to say whether or not it is really cheaper to live in a state with no income tax.

Living World essays

Living World essays How often is the soul of man, especially that of the child, deprived because one does not put him in contact with nature. There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest. Something emanates from those trees which speaks to the soul, something no book, no museum is capable of giving. The wood reveals that it is not only the trees that exist, but a whole, interrelated collection of lives. And this earth, this climate, this cosmic power is necessary for the development of all these lives. The myriad lives around the trees, the majesty, the variety are things one must hunt for, and which no one can bring into the school. -Dr. Maria Montessori, MD This just reminded me about my life growing up in a farm far away from the city. I lived there with my grandmother until I had to move with my father to a small town so I could go to school. I really did know that television existed until I was about seven years old, but I certainly knew that I had to wait about 21 days to see little chicks hatching out of their shells. I could see that it took longer for a cow to have a baby, that it was usually no more than one baby and that it was born in a different way. It was amazing and very exciting for me. I could see how important was to take care of the animals as well as the plants. I knew that if wanted to see another mango or an avocado tree I had to first plant a seed. I could see how nature was part of me. It was an amazing experience in my life that not book has given to me. I think that as teachers, even though living in big cities, we still can help our children to have those experiences that come from nature so that they can de velop that relationship with it. Biology is about the world of living things. The first question is, why we teach biology? By studying biology we can satisfy much of the curiosity our ...

The Influence on Identity of Changez in the Novel The Reluctant Essay

The Influence on Identity of Changez in the Novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Essay Example However, it worked to his advantage in the co-operative world of Manhattan-based Underwood Company. Because he was always top of his class, Jim the person that employs him shortly takes keen notice of him. The notice is mainly because of two things which include the fact that they shared the same education background at Princeton and same economic background that was coupled with financial hardships (Hamid, 34). The discussion that is advanced in this paper looks at the indecisive nature of the protagonist and how this aspect has been affected by other characters in the novel especially Jim and Juan. It opines that despite the fact that Changez has a high level of education, much of his actions are deviated by the characters in the novel. It is therefore difficult to identify his own standing in the main issues that the writer tries to project through him. In this perspective, the author tries to show that the influence of many factors put together like environment add to the persona lity of an individual and direct the position taken. The input of education is important in one’s life. The protagonist goes through a high level of education but several instances indicate that the person is motivated by his previous environment. Ailing from a poor background, Changez is forced to live in a society of the elite in order to receive an education. He has to cook his own meals just to sustain his livelihood while receiving the education. The identity that is being built here is resilience. He has to survive in a totally new environment despite the fact that his previous environment does not fit this lifestyle. Poverty forces him to come up with techniques to survive and in this case, he has to make do with the little he has. We are also informed of the cases in the novel that he is footing much of his educational bills by aids.

Comparison of the entrepreneurial journey made by Skype and Groupon Essay

Comparison of the entrepreneurial journey made by Skype and Groupon - Essay Example Microsoft Corporation most recently acquired the company in 2011. It has operated as their wholly owned subsidiary system since then. However, the licensing and operations of the software continue to be provided by Skype Technologies (Markovich and Krieger, 2010). The company is a limited liability company. Skype was originally developed to offer voice over IP services (VOIP) from the first release in 2003. This provided users a means to make calls over the internet, computer to computer or from computer to telephone at reduced call rates. The company also offers services such as calling landline/mobile phones to and from Skype by offering a Skype Number to their users. The services offered are the main source of Skype’s revenue. Groupon is a globally known e-commerce marketplace, which connects millions of their subscribers with local merchants. This is done by offering a range of business activities, travel opportunities, sales of goods and services in more than 47 countries. The company was launched in November 2008 in Chicago. By October 2010, the company had over 35 million users (registered). Andrew Mason created the original idea behind Groupon. Groupon, Inc. is the world’s largest online coupon provider currently. Both companies have received numerous takeover offers but not all have responded the same.

Teacher Attitude Towards Performance Incentives in Georgia Dissertation

Teacher Attitude Towards Performance Incentives in Georgia - Dissertation Example The effectiveness of the teachers has a greater influence on the learning of students, than any other factors affecting the student learning in the control of schools in the world that include the size of the school, the size of the class, and the effectiveness of â€Å"after-school programs† (Bacharach & David 2009). There have been concerns on Georgia about the contribution of teachers towards the studying of students and the quality of the teacher workforce and there have been calls to reform the compensation of teachers. The survey result would be an indication of how the teacher attitudes differ by personal characteristics such as subject area, school assignment, or experience as well as the teacher workforce that include the school performance and the level of trust among teachers and principals. There have been calls by policymakers, analysts, and education advocates that the criterion used on teacher compensation is inappropriate and therefore it has been criticized as being too uniform and rigid. Critics claim that the present system in Georgia is not efficient as it concentrates on the experience of teachers and the qualifications they hold alone and this makes the teaching profession unattractive to result oriented people who might be having technical skills (Michael, 2007). Moreover, the critics of this compensation system for teachers argue that the present system does not do much in regard to motivate and reward effective teachers. Therefore instead of the uniform pay of teachers that goes ahead to ignore the labor market realities, reformers argue that they have provided the teachers with a varied incentive. However, despite the reformers claiming of the different incentives to teachers, this does not have any effect on the teacher motivation. The incentives have given too little as compared to the teaching assignments (Ballou, 2009). The Problem in Question According to a US study, there has been the comparison of the effectiveness of rew arding a select group of teachers against all the teachers in the school (Baugh, 2009). An analysis of the National Education Longitudinal Study, the US Department of Education's School, and the data from the Staffing Survey on performance pay came up with a conclusion that rewarding a select group of teachers was effective in student learning as compared to the whole school (Brodie & Ron 2008). However, several recent studies reveal that rewarding of the entire group of teachers in the whole school have a positive affect on the test scores of students. In addition, the research shows that through rewarding the teachers uniformly the teachers have an opportunity and encouraged to cooperate with the other teachers in the school by sharing their experiences. Critics of the selected pay program believe that the whole-school performance pay system are more acceptable to the teachers and less â€Å"controversial† (Donald & James, 2010). Regarding this, evidence of the problem that calls for farther research on the problem before policy recommendations are made. The purpose of this study is to find out why the teachers have different views regarding the pay for performance initiative. Definitions In this section, the definition of performance pay is dealt within general to set up a context on how it applies to the teachers specifically in Georgia. Therefore the key word in this paper is pay for performance in Georgia. This is the plan to have a direct relationship between the employee pay and the output of the employee. The pay for performance plan often considers of a select group of persons or the whole group of people. This plan is in line with the mostly held belief in humans that employee need to be rewarded depending on their

Realism In International Affairs Essay Example for Free

Realism In International Affairs Essay Realism in politics is a political philosophy, which tries to observe, shape and predict political relations. It is based upon assumption that power should be the primary goal of any political act, both in international or domestic sphere. As far as domestic affairs are concerned, this theory states that political figures are supposed to direct all efforts to maximizing their power. Accordingly, in the international sphere nation should aim at maximizing its power among other states. This theory can be regarded as a prescription to be followed by politicians and states or as a description of current affairs of the state or politician pursuing self-interest. Realism in politics is often defined as a principle of power supremacy, and it has a long history since the ancient times. It was reflected in Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. This theory was also touched by Machiavelli in his writing The Prince, as well as by other outstanding philosophers like Spinoza, Hobbes and Rousseau. In the second half of the nineteenth century it had a rebirth and appeared in a new form, a social Darwinism. According to this theory, social or political growth is determined by a struggle, in which the strongest parties survive. According to the theory of political realism, interests should be satisfied by means of power exercise, and the world is defined by competing powers. In this context, the adherents of Marxist theory refer to classes, while other political theorists to states. (Ahrensdorf) Political realism is explained in the following way: â€Å"Prior to the French Revolution in which nationalism as a political doctrine truly entered the worlds stage, political realism involved the political jurisdictions of ruling dynasties, whilst in the nineteenth century, nationalist sentiments focused realists attentions on the development of the nation-state, a policy that was later extended to include imperialist ambitions on the part of the major Western powers-Britain and France, and even Belgium, Germany and the United States were influenced by imperialism. † (Viotti, Kauppi). Important difference between social darwinism and other branches political realism is as follows: adherents of the former state that some nations are destined to rule over other nations, while other part of realists pays most attention to the need of ensuring that nation, culture or politician sets or secures own needs before needs or interests of others. Political realism in international affairs Political realism of an expressive kind stands for the suggestion that international commonwealth is distinguished by anarchy, since there is no absolute world government, that could rule with an all-purpose policy code. Since the anarchy does not need a chaotic nature, thus allowing member nations be involved into trading schemes or treaties, the theorists mostly agree that morality or law are not the dominating factors outside one particular state. In this particular characteristic this hypothesis agrees with the Hobb’s theory: Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice ? if there be no Power erected, or not great enough for our security; every man will and may lawfully rely on his own strength and art, for caution against all other men. (Hobbes, Leviathan , Part I, Ch. 13 Of Man, and Part II, Ch. 17, Of Commonwealth, cited in Griffiths, O’Callaghan). Respectively, without any supreme international force, nations treat each other with hostility or fear, and it damages the system. Another aspect of the theory is an assumption that a state can promote its interest against the needs and interests of other states, it proves that international surrounding is not stable. Any order is affected if states compete for the same need, and under such circumstances, as the realists state, the nation may rely on itself only. There are definite contradictions that can be found in the concept of political realism: descriptive realism may be regarded as a true theory or false concept. Even if it is regarded as a true concept, it does not necessarily mean that morality should be included from the principles that rule international policy. One of the strong forms if descriptive type of political realism states that states should be self-seeking, that they should build their policy basing upon desired gains of the nation and should not ignore their interests and demands. Simultaneously, â€Å"if descriptive realism is held, it is as a closed theory, which means that it can refute all counter-factual evidence on its own terms (for example, evidence of a nation offering support to a neighbor as an ostensible act of altruism, is refuted by pointing to some self-serving motive the giving nation presumably hasit would increase trade, it would gain an important ally, it would feel guilty if it didnt, and so on), then any attempt to introduce morality into international affairs would prove futile. † (Stern) The assessment of expressive kind of political realism power depends upon the chance of understanding political reasons, which requests understanding the causes of state diplomats and representatives. The pattern of officers’ relations, their motives and actions is complex. Waltz says that the closed nature of expressive realism includes a oppose scheme that nations does not serve any needs at all, or can serve the needs of others only. The logical value of the three theories resulting from this concept offers that preferring one condition to another is an optional decision, if an assumption is accepted, or not. (Waltz) The present international sphere of nations’ interaction is defined by the lack of supreme power. In the past, wars were a strong argument in support of political realism – there have been more than 200 wars since the middle of the 17th century. This condition seems to have a chaotic nature, and some thinkers are likely to compare it to domestic anarchy, when state government is not able to rule the state: ‘Without a world power, war, conflict, tension, and insecurity have been the regular state of affairs; just as a domestic government removes internal strife and punishes local crime, so too ought a world government control the activities of individual states-overseeing the legality of their affairs and punishing those nations that break the laws, and thereby calming the insecure atmosphere nations find themselves in†. (Kegley, Wittkopf) At the same time, such comparison leads to a conclusion that the relations between the state and the individuals are alike. Such argument includes the personification of the states and collectivization of individuals. Some theorists state that the relations between states and the citizens cannot be compared to the relations between the states and the relations of the individuals, and therefore should be differently judged. In addition to the propositions of descriptive realism, there are notions offered by prescriptive political realism, for instance, the statement that a certain nation should follow its own interests and needs independently of the relevant state of international relations. This theory can be divided into various aspects, depending upon proclaimed interest of the nation and the allowability of the tools that would be used to reach desired goals. As far as the national interest is concerned, there are distinct opinions of what it should be, but all of them agree that the state should be self-efficient in economical and political sphere, cutting dependency on other nations. (The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations) The statement supporting the supremacy of self-sufficiency of the state has appeared long time ago. Plato and Aristotle referred to this aspect as a ground necessary to provide security of the national power, they insisted that nation should import only insignificant commodities. This economic theory has been used for supporting political realism, especially in the 18th century the theorists of political sphere stated that the political power of the nation is reached and supported in the terms of reduced import and increased export only. Difference between neorealism and classical realism Conflict is regarded as a key element in politics, including international affairs, by all realists, however, there are two different sources of conflict, pointed out by different realist authors. For instance, classical realism theory starts with a pessimistic viewpoint on the human nature. As the adherents of this theory believe, selfish, competitive and striving for power behavior in inherent for the humans. Hans Morgenthau states that each individual is enforced to act uncaringly to protect himself, and this situation leads to the disagreement: â€Å"What the one wants for himself, the other already possesses or wants, too. Struggle and competition ensue. Man cannot [therefore] hope to be good, but must be content with not being too evil†. (Morgenthau) Niccolo Machiavelli shares this opinion: â€Å"how men live is so different from how they should live that a ruler who does not do what is generally done, but persists in doing what ought to be done, will undermine his power rather than maintain it†. (cited in The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations). These ideas performed specific approach to a strategy applied in international affairs: a careful statesman must avoid optimistic view on others’ aims and intentions and limits their initiatives to those that may help if the situation goes better. For instance, Henry Kissinger warned the leaders of the USA and Israeli against the intentions of Syria and Palestine, during the negotiations on Middle East conflict: â€Å"It is likely that agreements will be reached because the alternatives will, in the end, seem more dangerous. But when this happens, we must avoid euphoria. An agreement will represent a strategic interlude for the Syrians and most of the Palestinians, not a commitment to a new world order. † (Legro, Moravcsik) In other words, classical type of realism regards conflict and competition as essential element of international affairs, referring the origin of conflict to the human nature. Humans struggle with each other for resources they need and strive for power to rule over other people. This is a set pattern, which cannot be changed. Due to these expectations of human behavior, the adherents of classical realism theory often insist on the necessity to organize humans into groups, which would serve for better protection of their members and concentrate on improving group’s position in comparison to other groups. Another theory, neorealism or structural realism, refers the origin of conflict to interstate condition, the lack of legally restricting rules in particular, rather than to human nature. The adherents of neorealism state, that â€Å"the absence of a neutral authority that can enforce rules and agreements creates an insecure, self-help situation in which all policy makers are pressured to act competitively, regardless of their individual natures or personal preferences. † (Kegley, Wittkopf) This statement is not new, it appeared in the 17th century in the work of Thomas Hobbes. In his writing Leviathan he states that the in the world, which lacks supreme power that could provide security, people has a right to use any tools to protect themselves. Besides, he assumed that â€Å"all mankind [has] a per ¬petual and restless desire of power after power that ceases only in death. † (cited in The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations) Modern tradition in neorealist theory declines the assumption that individuals strive for power due to a natural inclination, and concentrates on the motives produced by a lack of a neutral power that can set rules for interstate relations. For instance, Kenneth Waltz says that â€Å"the main cause of war must lie in some regularity at the level of the interstate system, rather than within particular leaders or states, since war has been waged for all sorts of specific reasons and by good as well as bad leaders. † (Waltz) According to Waltz, this regularity is the pressure, produced by anarchy: â€Å"Without enforceable interstate rules, states must either resist possible domination by others through a policy of balancing against others power capabilities, or by bandwagoning-joining a coalition that supports an aggres ¬sive state, in hopes of turning its aggression elsewhere†. (Waltz) Waltz states that large states possess the capacity and desire to withstand the strength of other states. This results, as he sees it, in a tendency of competitiveness among states independently of the views of their leaders concerning domestic policy. Actually, the prediction of this statement is not much different from the assumption made by the adherents of classical realism. As soon as it is based on the assumptions concerning human nature, classic realists expect that the makers of policy also act competitively. The difference lies in the way this conclusion is reached. As Waltz sees it, this is the pressure of competitiveness, produced by anarchy, which significantly influences the human behavior. Those strategies that are oriented on power, appear because the leaders are forced to struggle for security, rather than because they desire just to obtain power. Realistic approach in modern international affairs Realism was a concept for analyzing world politics since remote times, because much of humankind history was characterized by wars. As soon as the states’ interests come across in conflict, it is expected that leaders pay much attention to their positions in power. â€Å"The classical realist worldview appealed to many statesmen during the period that states were evolving in Western Europe-an era rife with conflict, as medieval forms of rule broke down and rulers asserted new claims to authority against feudal lords or the Pope. It jumped to the United States when the experiences of World War II were followed by the onset of the Cold War. Neorealism later emerged when the bipolarity of the Cold War drew analysts attention to the effects of the structure of the interstate system†. (Lieven, Hulsman). At present, ethical realism is offered to the USA as a leading principle that should define the foreign policy of this state. As it is described by the supporters of this type of realism, it bases upon â€Å"prudence; a concentration on possible results rather than good intentions; a close study of the nature, views and interests of other states, and a willingness to accommodate them when these do not contradict Americas own truly vital interests; and a mixture of profound American patriotism with an equally profound awareness of the limits on both American power and on American goodness† (Lieven, Hulsman). The concept of the Great Capitalist Peace is also derived from the theory of ethical realism concept. It is based upon the ideas of Kennan and Morgenthau, including the concepts of diplomacy purposes and international order. It proclaims that a global order is needed to be agreed by the largest states, to provide the promotion of their interests and reduce the threat of terrorists. Accordingly, the USA power is treated as an element, vital for keeping the Great Capitalist Peace. At the same time, it is added that the limits should be put on the US power, in order to legitimate interests and needs of other states should be satisfied. Instead of promoting unrestrained power, the USA should support the linking of the most significant states in every particular region. For instance, in the Middle East region the USA should use its power and resources to support creation of a regional patter for the states, including Syria and Iran, and to make this pattern functional enough to regulate Iraq conflict after withdrawal of the US troops from this country. (Lieven, Hulsman) As far as the Far East is concerned, the USA should paid attention to the primary role, which should be played by China in this region, but not by the United States. China is treated as a state, ready to act in cooperation with other states and act responsibly, that’s why USA should allow China to occupy a leading position in finding resolutions to the actions of the regime in the North Korea, and other possible challenges in this region. (Lieven, Hulsman) Sources Waltz, K. N. Structural Realism after the Cold War. International Security. Summer. 2000 Morgenthau, H. J. Politics Among Nations: the Struggle for Power and Peace. McGraw Hill: NY, 1993. Stern, G. The Structure of International Society. London: Pinter Publishers, 2000. The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations. edited by Baylis, J. and S. Smith. Oxford University Press, 2004 Griffiths, M. , O’Callaghan, T. International Relations: The Key Concepts. London, Routledge, 2002 Kegley, C. Wittkopf, E. World Politics. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. Viotti, P. R. Kauppi, M. V. International Relations Theory: Realism, Pluralism, Globalism. Macmillan Pub Co, 1993. 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