Random politics piracy

Themes

1. Leaders in both states are motivated by staying in power and they suppress political opposition to do so

2. Undermine international institutions and undermine liberal values such as democracy, the rule ff law and human rights

3. posed significant challenges to the US global hegemony due to their willingness to co-operate and form alliances to challenge the US

semi democratic powers maintaining power of leaders

leaders use electoral processes as a facade to maintain control

- in reality - obstruct opposition to ensure they can't loose elections and stay in power

Suppress dissent - control media and interference in judicial

Example of semi-democratic powers

Viktor Orban - Hungary

- 'illiberal democracy'

gov dominated the media

suppresses opposition

cutrtails opposition through electoral reforms which disadvantage his rivals

Rouge states maintaining leader power

more overtly autocratic

motivated by staying in power

openly use repression and violence to maintain power

includes imprisoning and assassinating political opponents

disregard for criticism and international norms

Example of a rouge state

North Korea

- Kim Jong Un's regime relies on extreme measures

- pUBLIC executions

- Forced labour camps

suppress any dissent

120,000 political prisoners are held in North Korea prison camps here torture, starvation and forced labour are common

undermining international institutions and ability to uphold liberal values

Rouge states theory

- disregard and reject norms and legitimacy fo liberal internal law

limited effort to align with global norms

challenge liberal principles

human rights

democracy

free-market capitalism

rouge states example

- Iran disregarded international law and agreements

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

that sought to limit its development of nucealr power

Funded proxies such as Hezbollah and Houthis -

intention of challenging US and its allies

contributed to major regional instability

Semi-democratic states theory fo why they undermine lineal institutions

- do so from within the institutions

- claim to be democracies and therefore gain benefits of membership of institutions such as NATO and the UN

also building alliances with autocratic states and being repressive in practice

erode the vales for these institutions

they therefore struggle to deal with semi-democratic states due to their ambiguous status

Turkey as a semi-democratic state undermining international organisations

Turkey = NATO member

benefits for alliances security

criticised for democratic backsliding under

President Erdogan

and building alliances with autocratic states

NATO been reluctant to act decisively due to Turkey's strategic importance

this creates tensions within he alliance of liberal democracies

Willingness to co-oeprate and form alliances to challenge the US

semi-democratic states undermining the US

- aligning with both democratic and a autocratic powers

Taking advantage of dual status

resist US dominance and using range fo alliances to benefit themselves

this creates instability and therefore undermines the US

S-D state that is undermining the US global hegemony

Hungary

developed closer ties tie China

Joined the Belt and Road initiative

allowed Huawei to build 5G network infrastructure

these actions align Hungary with autocratic power

complicate EU efforts to present unified stance against China and in support of the US

Rouge states theory

openly oppose it dominance and creating alliances among themselves to do so

China Russia and Iran grown closer economically and militarily in recent years

Iran as a rogue state

Iranian built drones and North Korean troops used in Russia in Ukraine

Russia and Iran export significant majority of their energy reserves to China

therefore this supports its continued economic growth and ability to compete with the US as economic superpower

Different systems of government: Semi-democratic states: Characteristics

- A combination of democratic and authoritarian elements.
- Many have dominant party model where elections take place but may involve fraud/unfair electoral campaigns to secure single-party dominance.

Different systems of government: Semi-democratic states: Examples

- Russia under Putin; many states across Latin America, Africa and Asia; Hungary under the Fidesz Party since 2010.

Different systems of government: Semi-democratic states: Consequences

- They are less predictable than democracies but more predictable than autocratic states, which impacts on global order.
- Their unpredictability means they may or may not behave like democracies in regard to human rights and international law.

Different systems of government: Autocratic states: Characteristic

- Ruled by a single person with unlimited power.
- There are no limits imposed by the rule of law, a constitution or other social and political institutions.

Different systems of government: Autocratic states: Examples

- Libya under Gaddafi; Germany under Hitler; North Korea under Kim Jong-Un.

Different systems of government: Autocratic states: Consequences

- They are unpredictable in their decision-making (one individual with no restraints) and are likely to violate international law and human rights.
- They weaken global order and stability.

Failed and rogue states definition

A failed state is one that has lost control of its border and legitimacy, while a rogue state is considered a threat by the international community.

Failed states: Characteristics

- They do not exhibit internal sovereignty, as they are unable to make decisions that are binding on individuals and groups in the territory or maintain order.
- There are often deep ethnic, religious or tribal divisions; sometimes civil war.
- The state lacks basic infrastructure and the ability to provide even basic level of personal or economic security for its citizens.

Failed states: Examples

South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and the Central African Republic

Failed states: Consequences

They have terrible consequences for their populations and a number of different consequences for global order:
- triggering refugee crises
- generating regional instability
- becoming a haven for international crime, terrorism and the illegal arms trade
- triggering humanitarian intervention

Rogue states: Characteristics

A state that is judged to be a threat to other states and global order through its:

- aggressive foreign policy

- creation and stockpiling of weapons, especially nuclear weapons

- support for terrorism

The real issue is who decides which state is a rogue state and for what reason.

Rogue states: Examples

- The 'axis of evil states' - Iran, Iraq and North Korea (George W. Hush, 2002)

- The 'wicked few' states - North Korea, Iran and Syria (Donald Trump 2017)

Rogue states: Consequences

- They are perceived as a real threat to regional or global order.

- Some argue that the definition of rogue state is used to justify intervention in that state by another state, often for self-interested reasons rather than global stability.

- For example, the USA identifying Iraq as a rogue state. Critics felt this was a cover for the USA's self-interest in gaining access to Iraqi oil and a key power base in the Middle East.

oo