Author Archives: Courtney Weatherby
Misconceptions: A Vital Component of Historical US-China Relations
Misunderstandings between individuals are some of the greatest sources of conflict that can enter a relationship. Friendships have ended because one person thought that the other meant something else; marriages have broken because of misconceptions about the other partner’s intentions or actions. This holds true not only for individual relationships, but relationships between different cultures and nations as well. Such things become clearer when one views relationships between nations already in conflict, such as the United States and China. To examine this relationship, we must look at a misconception that arose as a result of legitimate worry and anger, concerning American imperialism.
The idea that the US is still an imperialistic power tainted the Chinese perspective of American actions during the mid- to late twentieth century, despite the fact that American expansionism ended decades before. Just as important, American fear of Soviet communism during the mid-twentieth century resulted in the refusal to accept a Communist China as a sovereign state, viewing the People’s Republic of China as a pawn of the Soviet Union and thereby refusing to work with them. Avoiding these two misconceptions and focusing on cultural similarities and understanding, as has become a focus in more recent years, has improved relations between the two nations immensely. Continue reading
Let’s be Realistic About the International Social Interest
The United States of America has often taken what should be considered a very idealistic view of the world, particularly when one considers the can-do attitude that persists despite economic troubles or war. This outlook was seen clearly through President Barack Obama’s electoral campaign and his focus on belief, hope, and change. However, this idealism—while it persists in people’s thoughts and hopes—has not always followed through in their actions. Looking back through history, interactions between people are not easily explained just by looking at their beliefs—questions arise regarding motivation. Why do some conflicts lead to war but not others? Has the growing focus on human rights throughout the world affected the ways that countries interact with one another? Historians and scholars have looked at such interactions and formed paradigms on how the world works and why. Over the past few centuries, the prominent view has been realism, focusing on national security and interests as the driving forces behind countries’ actions. However, in more recent years the Idealist view has become more popular. Yet while the approaches Continue reading