Are we maintaining the status quo?
Is the balance of power at work in the world today?
The balance of power is constantly at work, though not always involving the actors with whom we are familiar. And not always in ways that are obvious to the untrained eye. Our world can experience war, terrorism, bloodshed... or peace, prosperity, and understanding... and the balance of power is maintained. For our planet to have a balance of power, power must be concentrated in those nations who are willing to maintain the status quo, and taken out of the hands of those who would disrupt the system. According to Morgenthau, "The balance of power does not eliminate war; its purpose is not to prevent war. In fact, war plays an important part in the system..." (Lecture notes, "Balance of Power System"). War's purpose is to restore the power balance. Morgenthau continues, "All competitive systems establish equilibrium... Although balance can take different forms and balance can be upset, according to this way of thinking, it is always restored. States may be defeated, but balance will be restored; the identities of the major actors may change, but balance persists because of the ubiquity of power" (Ibid.)
The gain and retention of power is the goal of government. Morgenthau commented, "Whatever the ultimate aims of international politics, power is always the immediate aim" (Kaufman 61). When nations change foreign or domestic policy in response to civil unrest, it is in response to the challenge of the state's power to rule its own constituents. We have seen these developments in the recent rioting over racial and religious lines; blasphemous cartoons mocking Islam and the deaths of two young Muslim youths have sparked massive, weeks-long rioting throughout Europe and the Middle East. The sources of this unrest lie not just with the perceived offenses, but dissatisfaction with the treatment of Muslims throughout the world. According to Dr. Khaled Batarfi, recent events "exposed the deep-rooted racism toward the French of Arab origin and Muslim background. As public polls showed, most French applauded the hijab ban and don't think highly of their Muslim fellow citizens." The response to civil unrest is a perilous to accession to demands in order to retain power over their disaffected citizens. The nation enacts both overt and covert activity in order to keep the peace and maintain the status quo. The alternative: revolution and civil war. And just as domestic policies are enacted to maintain power within a nation, "diplomacy" is devoted to the preservation and obtaining of power through both overt and covert means.
Sources:
"Balance of Power System", lecture notes. Norwich University, 2006.
Batarfi, Dr. Khaled. "French Approach to Muslim Discontent." Arab News, Internet: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=80115&d=2&m=4&y=2006, accessed 3 March 2006.
Kaufman, David J., et al. Understanding International Relations: The Value of Alternative Lenses, 5th Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004.