The End of Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The End of Cold War - Essay Example Many views simply refer Cold war as the ‘war of words’ between various nations and states. From the third world across the countries of Eastern Europe and in reference to the once divided German to the American Midwest the cold war made its presence felt after it inserted itself into the economies of the two protagonists, and shaped political choices of people, as well as, determined the outcomes of the elections. Moreover, it sets parameters on human rights and helps in the promotion of democracy in some countries and authoritarian in others. One side of the scholars argue that ideologies that are conflicting were of no relevance and both sides were in a position to use rhetoric concepts to conceal their real interests and intentions. This was basically placed on the analysis that was last done with regard to the neorealist theory of Kenneth Waltz’s. However, Waltz does not discuss much about the ideology but relies heavily on the two structural features of inter national politics to expound on the interaction between states in general and the super power in particular.2 In fact, Waltz speaks more of unequal distribution of capabilities with the inclusion of anarchic nature of the international system. According to him, there is the presence of frequent patterns of foreign policy behaviour that flows naturally from the two features although other variants of realism offer related but in difference kind of predictions. Additionally, realist who belong to neoclassical ideology argue that great power behaviour cannot be properly understood without taking into account one or two domestic level factors which include perception of threats that are external or relative power. Never the less, they agree with Waltz that the lawless scenery of the global scheme and the unequal distribution of capabilities which were constrained determined the US and soviet foreign policy decisions.3 Contrary to this, several scholars including John Gaddis argue that c onflict took place due to the incompatible ideologies which ended up after the soviet ideology lost its hostile and antagonistic edge. The scholars further refuted claims that in the absence of clashing ideologies, structural conditions would be enough to spark a fierce rivalry between the US and Soviet Union. Scholar like Richard Rosecrance and Arthur Stein argues that any assessments that focused on narrow constituents of realism which include material power was capable of changing in distribution and the threat prevailing externally were radically incomplete, a situation that did not account for what he US and the Soviet Union did way beyond the year 1947.4 Arguing in the same light was John Mueller who contended that the Marxist ideology shaped Soviet foreign policy and that the liberal democratic values were intrinsic to the goals of US. The perspective implied that ideological considerations overdid the two superpower concerns about the balance of power. Criticism is said to h ave risen in regard to the neo-realism theory which was not in a position to predict the end of the cold war. Additionally, the theory was not able to explain how the war would end up either peaceful or none peacefully. Hence it was regarded as a major fail as it was one of the theories that claimed to be in a position to predict on several war and conflict issues. The binary opposition has limits especially when there is an attempt to understand the complexity of history. With the trials of understanding what the policymakers have done, it is necessary to understand that motives are seldom clear cut. The most hidden documents do not reveal reasons as to why US and Soviet acted during this period. Moreover, it is difficult to