The highest quality of the power comes from the application of the knowledge. In international relations, power is the ability to influence others and secure what a state or actor want. Knowledge can be used to help, exploit, punish, reward, convince and even transform an enemy into friend or a friend into enemy. It increases the efficiency and serves to enhance both, wealth and force. The elements of the power are: geography, natural resources, population, leadership influence, economic development, ideology, military, state structure and diplomacy. The main point of focus at this time is individual unit of analysis which identify the characteristics of human nature, events and causes in individual leaders with their education, political or religious beliefs, biases or the closer circle of the policy decision makers within the contemporary world politics around us. On the individual level citizens should be careful for investing their time, intellectual and money in the personal, socially and professionally. From the global perspective, each state or nation should also be careful in the use of the national power.
In the international system, powerful states influence the other weaker states to get their demands in terms of national interest to be filled. As the western dominance of the international relations due to the globalization the concept of the complex interdependence expands among the nation states, in terms of conflict and cooperation. The era of the globalization profited a few nations more than others. In the politics of resources, the conflicts are continued along the resource boundaries between states. Like the availability of the natural resources, in the form of food, minerals, energy, etc, play an extremely important role in the relative power structure of power. Joseph Nye reemphasized utilization of intangible forms of the power, such as the institutions, ideology and cultural due to the changing nature of international relations. Soft power means using diplomatic, psychologically and culturally influence on partner or rival states to fulfil your own national interest without directly going for military confrontation with other states.
Strategically, balance of both hard and soft power is known as smart power. Whereas the structural power is used to shape the agenda, global rules and systems to governance the international relations. Non-state actors like NGOs and INGOs, cooperations for humanitarian causes and extremists or terrorists group also exercise the power in global affairs.For the realists’ survival of state is the primary goal. As wars reemerge, weapons are seen as a guarantee of peace. Despite historical military confrontations among empires and now among modern states, the one idea dominates “Always show your power and don’t completely use your power”, means that nation states acquire the credible deterrence. For the survival or existence of human beings’ basic resources like food, clothes and shelter are compulsory factors and to wage the war, large amount of the natural resources is compulsory for the modern states or nations, to operate their military industrial base and to reward the national and international actors through the trade, investment and aid.
For example, regarding food or military supplies those countries which are self-sufficient or the nearly self-sufficient clearly have a more advantages other than less-sufficient countries, or which has to import the food and resources from the other countries. Every country physical force like military and economy strength as a hard power is the tangible power,more over the hard power relies on the trade incentives, sanctions and military intervention to achieve the foreign policy goals and on the other hand soft power rely on the intangible power capabilities like culture, identity, norms, values and legitimacy of the country’s international and external policies. Conflict and cooperation are among the most important and difficult concepts in international relations.
As the populism is emerging and we see now the sign of deglobalization due to the rise in trade tariffs imposed by America to bring its global allies and partners on table of negations for its national interest to bring back manufacturing industry in U.S, which seems like increasingly unrealistic. The importance of manufacturing can’t be ignored, but as the people across the world are now more inclined to work in the services sector and emerging technologies, this change in work behaviour should not be ignored either. China is considered as the world’s manufacturing hub due to quality labour and its expanding financial power externally, while strengthening itself internally by becoming a member of the World Trade Organization. While President Trump’s emphasis on tariffs is well-known, the rationale behind the administration’s approach to trade remains a topic of discussion. To gain a clearer understanding, it’s important to explore the geopolitical and geo-economic motivations driving the trade tensions. There appears to be a growing consensus across various ideological perspectives in the U.S. that the neoliberal phase of globalization has not achieved the expected outcomes, particularly for the liberal hegemon. Furthermore, the integration of China and Russia into the U.S.-led world order has not happen as hoped, nor have these nations transitioned into liberal market democracies.
As we navigate these economic challenges, we find ourselves in a complex landscape where great powers are engaging in both hard and soft power strategies, reminding us that in an environment with fewer established rules, power will continue to play a crucial role. Experts indicate that the United States may be transitioning its foreign policy approach from liberal idealism to a focus on economic realism. The growing prominence of China in the technological sector presents new challenges for U.S. tech companies. Additionally, countries that have emerged more recently, particularly in Asia, along with post-colonial and transitional states, are actively enhancing their influence in global politics and economics. This shift is taking place within an international framework that has traditionally been shaped by Western nations, beginning with treaty of Westphalia 1648, followed by the outcomes of World War 1 and 2. Now for the Pakistan is it important to focus on conflict resolution management.
In the international system power is consider as a main factor in balancing relationships, alliances and conflicts. Hans Morgenthau political realism principle emphasizes on national interests that are always defined in terms of national power and autonomy of international politics. Leadership determinesthe states actions. A political realist always interprets global affairs in terms of interest defied as power, liberalists seek cooperation for mutual benefits by institutional dominance, economists focus on gaining economic gains, diplomats or negotiators foster dialogue and understanding through agreements and decisions and a lawyer through legal framework, an academician through enhancing knowledgeand intellectual influence. The tangible and intangible forces, both are interconnected and states can’t rely on the single force, tangible forces led the foundation for the intangible forces, successful states balance the both forces to achieve their national interest.
The writer is a PhD student in International Relations and a community developer. He can be reached at [email protected].