Liberalism
“Liberal International Relations Theory accepts as axiomatic that the domestic nature of the state is a key determinant of its behavior toward other states” (Buchan, 2002).
How does the domestic nature of a state become a key determinant of a state’s behavior toward other states? The assumption mentioned above refers to how the civil society achieved the peace and equality among them and the type of government of a state will determine on what extent the peace and equality are achieved by the civil society. If the rate of peace and equality is high then we can say that, that particular state has a good behavior and because of that we can already determine the state’s behavior to other states. Of course when the legitimacy (people are obeying the laws freely) of the state is high, it means that the state is serving the interest of the people above all while also doing its own interest.
When the rate of peace and equality is low then there’s something wrong on how the state is exercising its power, it means the legitimacy is low and it will be a determinant on how he face other states. When neo- fascist successfully shipped and detonated a nuclear bomb in Baltimore during a Rugby game where several very important personality are there including the U.S president and CIA director but luckily they managed to leave the stadium about few minutes before the bomb detonated when Ryan was able to warn Bill Cabot. They are thinking who is responsible for such action and they think that the Russians are the ones responsible. A group of Russian jet fighters attacked and destroyed a U.S aircraft carrier; the event concluded the president’s idea that the ones responsible are the Russians which is not true. From the Air Force One, the president is planning to attack Russia and Russia is getting ready is case U.S will really attack them. Luckily because of Ryan (the hero), the two parties are able to disarm their weapons and reconciliation soon followed.
Liberalists are doing everything for peace, they are implementing sufficient reforms to end war and achieve the democratic world peace they are longing for. A democratic state like U.S value the relationship they have to other states because primarily U.S is a capitalist state and every state is a business partner, it is such a huge loss if one state will become their enemy. The U.S president did not want to ignite for sure any conflict but because they feel that it is the only way they can defend themselves and if they will not retaliate they are the ones will suffer although they do not want to sacrifice their relationship with one another but they can do nothing but to retaliate. As for Russia although they aren’t democratic yet but they are already on the process of democratization and they also value democratic principles. So I can say that though they are communist but they want to avoid conflict as much as the Americans and it is evident on the film that it is hard for the Russian president to attack America.
One of the key concepts of liberalism is collective security; ‘It refers to an arrangement where state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join in a collective response to aggression’ (Roberts and Kingsbury 1993: 30). Basically the simplest explanation to this is that “an attack to one is an attack to all.” If a state will attack another state that is a member of a union and other states who are members of the same union will take effective collective measures to solve the peace being breached. The best example that can relate to this is union of nations such as the United Nation. As written on chapter 1(purposes of the UN) of the charter of the United Nations; to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among states, and to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems such as economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and respect for human rights. In the film, because of the traumatic event they have faced, the two countries will develop into an even stronger and more fruitful relationship. They will both protect each other so that they can keep the deadly event to occur again in their own states. The speeches of both presidents at the climax of the video says it all, I hope that it will happen in our real world today that America and Russia will help each other in every way whether politically or economically for an even rich and fruitful state.