Question

In what ways dobissues such as global environment, diesease and the internet challenge state sovereignty? why do some believe that the Westphalian era based on the dominance of the sovereign state is coming to an end? do you agree with this view or do you think that state will continue to be the most important actor in international affairs? explain your answer

Answer 1

• Globalization is the term used to describe one of the most contemporary phenomena of our time; involving the diffusion of ideas, practices and technologies through the various now available means of communication and interaction. It has led to internationalization of most issues in human and state existence. It is not merely liberalization of markets, though in many cases that has been the result
• International corporations see their power grow through offering services until now reserved to nation-states such as health services and communications. These three points can lead to the following question: to what extent international private actors such as NGOs, medias and corporations put state sovereignty at risk. Thus diseases pose a risk.
• State sovereignty, in its most basic sense, is being redefined – not least by the forces of globalisation and international co-operation. States are now widely understood to be instruments at the service of their peoples, and not vice versa. Clearly, the internet is an example of a global phenomenon which crosses, and in certain cases challenges, state borders and the sovereignty of states. The UN have therefore created a body called the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to lead the debate on how the internet should be managed, controlled, censored or allowed freedom. In this forum of 89 countries, there are very different ideas and opinions, based on what each country feels is the most important to protect: state autonomy and sovereignty, or freedom of speech.
• The international system transitioned from a maximum state of exception to a minimum state of exception when the Westphalian model began characterizing the international system. In a minimum state of exception, the Weberian state entailed a state monopolization on the authority to deploy violence beyond its borders and the states acceptance of responsibility for violence emanating from its territory. Violence in a minimum state of exception shifted from nonstate actors to citizen-soldier actors.
• Yes I agree with this view ; The latest RMA that occurred at the highpoint of the cold war, but more so after the declaration of the Global War on Terror (GWOT), has rendered the Westphalian model obsolete. The modification of the primary actors in combat has consequently reverted the international system to a maximum state of exception where war is now global and an everlasting state in global affairs.