4.9 Competing Ideologies Produce Conflict



Big Ideas:

  • Appreciate how citizens and citizenship are affected by the promotion of ideological principles.
  • Appreciate that individuals and groups may adhere to various ideologies.
  • Examine how ideological conflict shaped international relations after World War II.
  • Evaluate the extent to which resistance to liberalism is justified.

Promoting and Defending Against Ideologies

When Canada acts on a belief, it engages in direct and indirect action to promote and defend against ideologies. Canada's actions are motivated by ideologies.

Interactions among nations are often driven by ideology. Separating the promotion of one's own ideology from defence against the ideologies of others is difficult.

If a nation believes in freedom of speech, it promotes this belief by expressing its opinions. To do so is a way of defending against those who oppose free speech. Thus, nations often promote their own ideologies and defend against opposing ideologies at the same time.

Ideologies motivate nations to interact in various ways. The importance of ideologies to nations makes their promotion and defense against other ideologies vital to the existence of the nation. The methods used to promote or defend against ideologies bring various consequences. These consequences, however, all involve changes in relations among nations.

Nations must consider three basic types of interaction:

  • cooperation

  • conflict

  • competition

Please watch the following video explaining The Cold War: Ideological Differences:

 

Cooperation

Nations motivated by ideologies are most likely to promote their beliefs whenever possible. They will also defend against other ideologies with equal effort. Cooperative interactions are most likely when nations share similar ideologies. Alliances, agreements, and treaties are used as methods to promote their common ideologies. Nations become allies in trade, military strength, and other interactions.

Cooperation among nations occurs when two or more nations work together. They wish to achieve a goal that will benefit all members of the group. Nations attempt to accommodate (accept) the wishes other nations.

Accommodation between members is high and tension is low.

Conflict

International interactions that involve conflict are motivated by ideologies. Each nation involved promotes its own ideology, but at the same time, it defends against the ideology of other nations. War and military confrontations are used to force the "enemy" to act in particular ways. In such interactions, each nation's ideology is seen to be important enough to risk the high costs of conflict. Nations become enemies in trade, military strength, and other interactions.

Conflict interactions involve deliberate efforts to force the other nation(s) to act in particular ways. The emphasis is on harming, destroying, or weakening the opposing nation(s).

Accommodation is low and tension is high.

Competition

Competitive international interactions involve ideologies as well. Nations compete for trade, influence, power, or territory. No nation involved in the interaction is willing to give up its own ideology. This prevents the high degree of accommodation necessary for cooperation. Indeed, each nation is promoting its ideology, not giving it up. Showing its own ideology in the best light requires a nation to defend against other ideologies. Thus, the nations become rivals in trade, military strength, and other interactions. Diplomacy, international law, treaties, and sanctions are methods used to reduce tensions in these competitive interactions.

Competitive interactions occur when nations each seek to achieve a goal that only one nation can achieve. To achieve that goal, nations must decide how they will interact. International law often provides the basis for what are considered acceptable interactions. Conflicts can result, however, if nations believe no other way is possible to achieve their goal.

Competitive interaction involves a mixture of tension and accommodation.
Examine the following chart, it is a summary of international interactions.

 Cooperation  Conflict  Competition
 Degree of Tension and Accommodation  

  • Tension low

  • Accommodation high

  

  • Tension high

  • Accommodation low

  

  • Tension mixed

  • Accommodation mixed
 Possible Motives  

  • Security

  • Peace

  • Prestige

  • Prosperity

  • Promoting and defending against ideologies

  

  • Security

  • Peace

  • Prestige

  • Prosperity

  • Promoting and defending against ideologies

  

  • Security

  • Peace

  • Prestige

  • Prosperity

  • Promoting and defending against ideologies
 Methods Used  

  • Agreements

  • Alliances

  

  • War

  • Confrontations

  

  • Diplomacy

  • International law
 Consequences  

  • Partners in trade

  • Military alliance

  • Political supporters

  

  • Opponents in trade

  • Military enemies

  • Political critics

  Results in working relationships where nations do not cooperate fully but view conflict as too costly
 Examples  

  • NAFTA — free trade agreement among Canada, USA, and Mexico

  • NATO — military alliance among European nations, Canada, and USA

  

  • WW I, 1914-1918

  • WW II, 1939-1945

  • Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

  • Afghanistan, 2002-ongoing

  UN sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop nuclear weapons development, 200surprisengoing


Watch the video below on The Political Spectrum.