Sir Isaac Newton: Would the great man have some handy advice on the conduct of international affairs? Sir Isaac Newton and Mideast Politics (Zaman, Turkey) "Your country is not the center of the world. The international system has no center. Even the superpowers that claim hegemonic positions like America or Russia cannot be regarded as centers of the global system. ... Don't think you're the only moral actor in the system. Other countries, including states you are at war with, do not contain morally debauched populations. Besides, morality is a relative term. Morality-based foreign policy narratives can also be divisive, and can result in whitewashing oneself and blaming others." December 4, 2012 Turkey - Zaman - Original Article (English) Would Sir Isaac Newton have anything useful to say to today's leaders about the conduct of international affairs? Turkish columnist Gökhan Bacik suggests his advice might go along the lines of 'your country is not unique - so don't behave as though it is.' AL-JAZEERA, QATAR: Putting science on trial: Siesmologists are accused of manslaughter for underestimating risks from an earthquake that killed more than 300 people, Oct. 23, 00:24:37 Humanity owes much to Sir Isaac Newton. He is the master physicist who educated humanity on a huge number of major issues, such as the law of universal gravity. He is also the father of classical mechanics. In a short column, one can hardly summarize Newton's contributions to science. Newton is central to our understanding of the basic rules governing the psychical world. Newton is regarded by many as one of the most important architects of modern Western thinking. So it might not be off base to ask what Newton would advise on Middle East politics. Having worked so successfully on a universal scale, would Newton's mind be up to the task of analyzing state-level relations, which work on a much simpler level? Positing that the natural laws of motion need not be divorced from morality in international politics, Newton might offer a modest new way of contemplating that arena. One might be able to speculate as follows: Your country is not the center of the world. The international system has no center. Even the superpowers that claim hegemonic positions like America or Russia cannot be regarded as centers of the global system. There is no state that can direct everything in the system according to its interests and intentions. The rules of the international system are bigger than the power of any single state, including the aforementioned hegemonic powers. Posted by Worldmeets.US Do not surrender yourself to the impression that you practice a unique foreign policy. You do not. There is nothing new under the sun within global politics. No matter how different the ideologies of states, their cultures and their religions, in terms of structure, most follow the same foreign policy guidelines. Kenneth Waltz, Newton's chief disciple in the field of international relations, proved this almost 50 years ago. For instance, Iran and the United States, despite their many ideological differences, pursue their interests within similar frameworks. Like Worldmeets.US on Facebook YOUR DONATION MAKES OUR WORK AS A NON-PROFIT POSSIBLE. THANK YOU.

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Don't think that your country's geopolitical situation is unique. In a global system, there is no hierarchy of geopolitics. There is no given, fixed geopolitical value. The world is a globe, and thus every country is contingent on relations with every other. What improves the value of a piece of land is social capital. As the Arabs say, Sharaf al mekan bil mekin (The value of a place is determined by the value of its occupant). Being the product of a pathological reflex of the late 19th century geopolitical imagination, the geopolitical debate is a waste of time.

Don't think you're the only moral actor in the system. Other countries, including states you are at war with, do not contain morally debauched populations. Besides, morality is a relative term. Morality-based foreign policy narratives can also be divisive, and can result in whitewashing oneself and blaming others. Remember, your moral values may be nothing but a reflection of your own embedded interests.

Nothing is exceptional and hence, everything is ordinary, in the international system. Wars are ordinary. Peace treaties are ordinary. Only human psychology attributes greatness to such ordinary things. Similarly, no nation has a historic mission. The problems of humanity must be resolved by all people in a very ordinary way. Thus, say nothing that would imply your country's exceptional position or role. Newton would advise that ordinary ways are the most effective. Demand for the exceptional raises costs.

Your foreign policy narrative should be in perfect harmony with your influence. Any mismatch will create serious problems for your country. Power and prestige are twin brothers. One cannot build prestige without first attaining tangible and intangible power. Claiming to have prestige when you don't makes one appear a laughingstock.

g.bacik@todayszaman.com

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[Posted by Worldmeets.US Dec. 4, 1:38pm]