foreign affairs: the most popular countries in debating motions
DESCRIPTION
A presentation on foreign affairs for SSE Riga Debate Society. Credits to Jordan Anderson.TRANSCRIPT
Foreign Affairs: The Most Popular Countries in Debating Motions
Outline
• Somalia• North Korea• Iran• Afghanistan• Israel & Palestine• …and a bit on Pakistan
Credits to: Jordan Anderson
Somalia
Somalia
• Used to be functioning– Up to 1950s – an Italian colony– 1950s-80s – a dictatorship (but a
functioning one!)
• Status Quo– UN/US forces pulled out in early
1990s (“Black Hawk Down”)– several groups competing for
power
Pirates
• Many are former fishermen– After state failed, had to turn to
piracy– Part of moral blame is on
Western Fishing Corporations
• Wrongdoings– Attacking civilians– Hijacking Saudi oil tankers– Kidnapping tourists from
neighboring countries
Al-Shabaab (“The Youth”)
• A militant Islamist group• Goal: set up an Islamic state
with Sharia laws• Has ties with Al-Qaeda• Love-hate relationship with
pirates– Cooperation against transitional
government– But mutual blackmail and conflicts
Transitional Federal Government
• Small Western- and African Union-backed government
• Controlling only parts of Mogadishu
Somaliland• A de-facto independent state– Secession after the collapse of
Somalia
• Established a decent governance; maintains law & peace
• Not recognized by any country
Motions
Proposition Stop piracy
Restore law & orderLong-term economic growth
Smash Al-Shabaab (training base of Al-Qaeda)
Functioning government CAN be built
OppositionTurn to guerilla warTurn to religious war
Attract other Islamist militias
Piracy “is morally acceptable”Western Fishing Companies
• THW invade Somalia
• THW covertly fund pirates & Al-Shabaab to fight each other
North Korea
North Korea
• Split after WW2• Nuclear weapons– Not many, but exist– However, launching capabilities
are extremely poor
• China sort of supports NK
Motions
PropositionEntire regime based on a
family heritageMoral justificationAll are guilty
OppositionArmy and generals will
struggle for powerCivil war or NK vs. SK war
• THW assassinate Kim Jong-un – and his family
• THW allow North Korea to have nukes Proposition
Control & transparency Remove fear of invasion -> NK
less paranoid Balance of powers (US-CN-NK)
Opposition Very risky & unstable NK may invade SK / sell nuclear
R&D to other bad countries Spiral of countries getting nukes
Iran
Iran• 1979 – Islamic Revolution• Ayatolla – religious leader– Also adopts all the laws– Elements of democracy
• Since 1980s – IR supports foreign terrorist groups
• Status Quo– “Arab spring” among urban youth– Nukes; originally obtained
“because Iraq had them”– Want to be dominant power;
counter Israel
Terrorist groups• Currently Iran funds:– Hezbollah (Lebanon)
Make Lebanon Islamic
– Hamas (Palestine)Destroy Israel
• Possible reasons– Genuinely anti-Israeli– Use conflicts to distract attention
from Iran– Provoke sanctions (by denying
Holocaust etc.) to profit from the black market (e.g. satellite dishes)
Motions
Proposition Similar to LibyaOpposition to regime
OppositionReligious insurgencyBig country that hates NATO
• THW invade Iran
• THW give Iran money / security technology Proposition
Want security -> get it
Opposition “Blame West” policyHelp incumbents’ vested
interests in the black market
• THW allow Iran to have nukes
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
• Best times – kingdom up to 1980s• 1979 – Soviet invasion; pretty
much destroyed the state• Mujahedeen drove Soviets out –
but Somalia-style lawless little states were created
• In the beginning the Taliban acted against Mujahedeen– Wanted to impose law & order
Status Quo
• NOT ideological war, rather Taliban insurgence– Personal (clan) grievances– Political factions– Lack of centralized administration
• Pashtuns – majority of AF’s population; mountaineers– Not everyone, but most of the Taliban is Pashtun– No national identity, no will for central government
• NATO forces & Karzai regime – deeply corrupt– Corruption is often the only way to control some provinces
Motions
Proposition Different factions , each wants
peace & order Can buy them off
The only way for a valid democracy
Opposition The new regime will impose many
things against Human Rights Hard to negotiate – no clear leader Have to accept their ways to make
money, i.e. poppies and heroin
• THW include the Taliban
• THW get (the hell) out of Afghanistan now Proposition
Everyone failed ruling themExtremely hard to fight
Mountains Tribal rules to help everyone
Opposition Worse than SQ (poppies + Al-
Qaeda) Moral responsibility to current allies Counter-plan: more intelligent
funding! (e.g. Soviets in 1980s)
Israel & Palestine
Israel & Palestine
• Jewish migration began as early as in 1920s– Zionists moving to British Mandate of Palestine
• 1948 – War of Independence• 1973 – October War• 1982 – peace agreement with Egypt• 1987 and 2000 – Intifadas (internal
uprisings against Israel)
• Israel – Jewish state• West Bank – 100+ Israeli settlements– 300,000+ Israelis– 1,000,000+ Arabs
• Jerusalem – a divided city• Golan Heights – 20,000+ Israelis• Gaza Strip – under blockade by IL army– HAMAS opposes that
Status Quo
Motions
Proposition A huge part of IL budget,
esp. military, is US-funded Meanwhile, Palestine
depends on US/EU support
Opposition Hamas is funded by IR; if it wins
over Palestine, no more peace IL will develop a “siege
mentality” US/EU support is merely
helicopters etc. – IL still can oppress others
• THBT the West should stop ALL funding until they come to peace
• THW remove settlements Proposition
Territory captured in war Under Geneva convention,
a state is not allowed to settle its citizens there
Opposition IL as a whole is not quite legitimate Geneva convention’s aim was to prevent
ethnic cleansing Removing settlers is ethnic cleansing
People are already there, it is intrinsically bad to drive them out
Pakistan
Pakistan
• Both PK and IN want Kashmir• Problems with Islamist militants• Both are nuclear nations– Threat of nukes being stolen is real
• Pakistani intelligence has links with Al-Qaeda
• North-West inhabited by Pushtuns– Problems with AF
Thank you for your attention!
Q&A