Strengths And Weaknesses Of Classical Liberalism Theory

From my point of view, Classical Liberalism is a relatively effective international relations theory because it points out the importance of the economic interdependence between states, democracy, and international organizations in promoting peace. However, there are also flaws within the Classical Liberalism theory, since it underestimates tensions created by competitive trades, democratic countries’ illegitimate involvement in other states’ domestic affairs, and the ineffectiveness of some international organizations. More specific example can be seen in particular issues, such as the 1990 oil price crisis, the 1952 Iranian coup d’état, and the 1950s Korean War. I will explain the advantages and flaws of the Classical Liberalism theory more …show more content…
Since the 1980s, China experienced dramatic developments economically and militarily. Although China seeks to expand its global influence, it hardly adopts violent methods such as martial activities. Because China fosters its GDP primarily via net export, China increases its dependence on trading with the rest of the world. Consequently, this economic interdependence discourages China from directly confronting its trade partners. Particularly from 2011 to 2015, the export of good and service consisted 22.6% of China’s GDP. If China pursues military hegemony, U.S or other Asian countries would shut down trade with China. However, U.S and other Asian countries heavily depend on Chinese products. For instance, China is U.S’ second largest trade partner, Japan’s second largest trade partner, and Taiwan’s largest trade partner. Thus, for both China and its trade partners, the cost of military expansion overweighs the benefits, which deters them from military conflicts. Therefore, from this perspective, Classical Liberalists’ theory is correct that increasing economic interdependence could result in …show more content…
For example, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 82, by a vote of nine supports, zero opposed, and one abstention. The resolution called on the Northern military to immediately halt its invasion and move its troops back to the 38th parallel. However, this resolution was completely ignored by the North. Therefore the UN took military enforcement measures and sent troops from 15 countries. However, in reality, the U.S. troop was the largest proportion. There were 350,000 soldiers from the U.S. and 50,000 from the other 14 countries. The example of Korean War weakens Classical Liberalist’s theory, because this example indicates that a particular country could heavily influence international