Ukraine

Ukraine: A Dangerous Matter for All of Us

At this moment the greatest danger to a potential global war is the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine with the possibility of quickly escalating into a nuclear war. This is not hyperbole. It is important to understand the dynamics of power politics at the global level, knowing where it is important to hold the line and where it is possible to negotiate an agreement, while knowing that a miscalculation could result in far reaching and unintended consequences. It is critically important to be aware of the extreme volatility of a situation that can rapidly change to one that cannot be controlled.

At its most general sense power is the ability to get intended results. Since one individual seldom has unlimited power over a long period of time, it is necessary to work with others to increase their power and/or influence. Therefore it is usually necessary to negotiate with other people and sources of power to get the desired results. Power politics are in every system and act as the distribution method of power, and as such provides both the obvious and unseen dynamics in personal relationships as well as throughout systems. The political system of national power is both. It is the most consequential system of power today and has the greatest impact of life on this planet.

Wikipedia defines power politics as “a theory in international relations which contends that distributions of power and national interests, or changes to those distributions, are fundamental causes of war and of system stability.” Because of the consequences, it is increasingly necessary for us to create a global system that is effective in regulating competition and enforcing cooperation.

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