Realism is back!!

After 11 years messed with ‘global war on terror’, the situation of international relations, especially in security issues, now is going back to its traditional practice, realism. Even though, IR analysts believe that ‘global war on terror’ was the turning point of the return of realism in international relations, in fact, it was not.

Realism is a condition where state is the dominant actor in international relations. So, it means in realism the dominant model of interaction is interstate relations, not asymmetrical relations between state and non-state actor.

During the period of global war on terror we saw that the model of interaction was asymmetrical relations. On the one side, there was a group of states led by the United States and the United Kingdom that fought against terrorism, while, on the other side, there was Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda was not a group of states, even though was believed to be supported by some states. Al-Qaeda was a terrorist group that classified as non-state actor. So, the period of global war on terror was not realism.

Otherwise, the implementation of realism is just starting today. It is marked by 2 things, namely the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and the agreement between the United States and Australia to deepen its alliance by giving Australian soil as a base for 2.500 marines of the United States. The withdrawal of American troops from Iraq is the mark of the end of the global fight against terrorism. At the same time, the agreement between the United States and Australia is the mark of the start of the power competition between the United States and China.

During this period international system will be dominated by 2 issues. First, conflict between the United States and Iran due to the issue of Iranian nuclear weapons development. Second, power competition between the United States and China in Asia-Pacific region. Both issues, then, confirm the implementation of realism because within this period international relations will be dominated by interstates relations.

Finally, it is not only Backstreet Boys, who will have a concert in Jakarta on June 1^st, 2012, who can say "Backstreet's back" to the world, but also realism in international relations.

wendy prajuli