This course helped me understand why states may be considered self-interested actors and may be motivated by absolute gains and anarchy. For example, Herrmann (1991) stated that President Bush reported that he was guided by fair play and justice principles when attacking Iraq. As a result, the attack was motivated by the need to protect weak states from strong adversaries. However, Herrmann (1991) further explains that, postwar, most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states reported that the US was only securing political and military success as a strategy for achieving its self-interests.
I was helped by the course to understand why Israel is attempting to sustain a privileged explanatory role as suggested by neorealist theorists. Israel is redefining its identity and interests. To achieve its objective, the country needs to create an anarchic structure and play competitive power politics (Herrmann, 1991; Miller, 2018; Wendt, 1992). On the other hand, Sheikh Jarrah is using the media to elicit international institutions to address Israel’s self-interest and use of anarchy.
The course shaped my understanding of realists, neo-realists, liberals, and rational perspectives. Currently, I understand that states may use anarchy to pursue their self-interests. These perspectives are essential in understanding my CMAP research topic.