Substantive #1

Border Disputes

          “Politics” is defined—using the guidelines established by our class discussion—as the actions taken by authoritative actors that have a formal responsibility to represent their constituency, and the presence of the word “today” in the question narrows the actors down to governmental heads and entities. Since the time of countries, governments have supported land expansion events which have lead to events such as Manifest Destiny in America and European colonialism. Governments today are no exception with numerous border disputes existing in the status quo. Therefore, the most pressing issue in politics today is border disputes because of their unique ability to entice rash actions and their potential to be used as a political tactic to increase nationalism.  

          The long established nature of border disputes also makes it likely for people to prefer immediate actions in order to resolve the tension, even if it is a drastic measure. India and Pakistan have been fighting over the status of Kashmir since the 1940's with each state claiming authority over different territories. In early August, India moved to revoke the special status that grants Kashmir semi-autonomy and moved Indian troops into the region. This reignited the conflict in an already tense Kashmir to an unrepresented level since the democratic country of India decided to make a very undemocratic choice to militarize in the region. Madhosh Balhami, a Kashmiran local, spoke to Michael Safi, the South Asian correspondent for The Guardian, and stated “‘Better than the last 30 years is to have a seven-day war and finish this issue for once and all’” which signals his desire for any solution to the dispute (1). Of course, this is the opinion of one man, but the fact that he is willing to live in an active war zone—with two nuclear powered countries—for the chance of resolving tensions speaks to how intense and unbearable border disputes can be. Living in the limbo of a border dispute forces acts of desperation.

           Additionally, modern day border disputes recreate an opportunity for governments to increase national pride in a very dangerous and militaristic way. In the imperial past, the amount of land a country owned was a matter of national pride, but that ideology subsided after countries and territories gained their independence after the end of WW2. Border disputes threaten the sovereignty of new and old countries, as seen with the Russian annexation of Crimea. After Russia annexed Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a speech addressing the Crimean population that “‘Russia has taken you into its fold with delight and joy… We will fulfill all of our goals... because we are together now,' (2)” His patriotic rhetoric aims to excite and energize the people under his jurisdiction to be confident of Russia’s future which indicates a political reason for the annexation. The tactic sets a dangerous precedent that could be continued by militarily fond leaders. 

1. Safi, Michael. “Standoff in Kashmir: ‘Our Last Hope Is That a War Will Sort This Once and for All.’” The Guardian, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/02/kashmir-india-pakistan-stand-off-war-border.

2. Isachenkov, Vladimir. “Putin Marks 5th Anniversary of Russia’s Annexation of Crimea.” PBS News Hour, www.pbs.org/newshour/world/putin-marks-5th-anniversary-of-russias-annexation-of-crimea.