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SIZING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD

SIZING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD. DEBATE TEAMS ON BRAZIL. Resolved: Brazil should give up its demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Rodrigo da Costa Serran Helen López Israel Muñoz Pineda Marianne Silva Batista Megan R. Horton Taylor Hadfield Axel Dávila Philipe Moura

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SIZING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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  1. SIZING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD

  2. DEBATE TEAMS ON BRAZIL • Resolved: Brazil should give up its demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. • Rodrigo da Costa Serran • Helen López • Israel Muñoz Pineda • Marianne Silva Batista • Megan R. Horton • Taylor Hadfield • Axel Dávila • Philipe Moura • Format: Two teams of four, one “affirmative” and the other “negative.” Two “constructive” speeches for each team and two “rebuttals.” 6 minutes each.

  3. PREMISES • Prospects for projection onto global arena depend to a considerable extent on position within the hemispheric arena, thus focus on: • Relationships with other countries of the region, • Relationship with the United States, and • Choice of strategic options (a.k.a. “grand strategies”).

  4. AFTER THE COLD WAR • Collapse of the Soviet Union • U.S. military primacy: the “unipolar moment” • “The End of History”? • Transnationalization and non-state actors • Process of “globalization” • Shift from geo-politics to “geo-economics” • Economic multipolarity: Europe, Japan, others?

  5. CONDITIONS IN LATIN AMERICA • Ideological divisions: left, right, center • Prevalence of democratic discourse • Focus on “strategic options” • Unavailable alternatives: • Bolivarian dream of collective unity • Rule of international law, organizations • Social revolution • Thus: geo-economic option (with U.S. focused on geopolitics)

  6. GEO-ECONOMICS: RULES OF THE GAME • 1. Presumably “peaceful” competition • 2. Positive-sum, not zero- or negative-sum • 3. Goal: increase or guarantee share of economic benefits—without destroying (or even defeating) rivals • 4. Repeated iterations • 5. Strategy: Maintenance of global “stability” • 6. Tactic: formation of “open” blocs

  7. GEO-ECONOMICS (ii) • Competitive arenas: • Consumer markets, natural resources (energy, water, etc.) • Technology • Financial markets • State roles: • Direct participation • Shaping of incentives • Legitimacy on basis of “market discourse” • Regional integration: • Strong seek to perpetuate primacy • Weak seek to avoid exclusion • Thus asymmetrical bargaining • Hub-and-spoke configurations

  8. RULES OF THE GEOPOLITICAL GAME • Nations can respond however they choose—including the use of indiscriminate force. • Preventive action is appropriate and acceptable. • There is no need to adhere to international treaties or conventions. • Alliances are formed around one central issue—the anti-terror campaign under U.S. leadership. Support is black-white. Democracy and human rights are secondary issues. • Spectator nations must tread cautiously.

  9. RESPONSES FROM LATIN AMERICA • Broad sympathy; scores of own citizens • Occasional satisfaction • OAS support for action “as appropriate” • Appeals for proportionality • Fidel Castro: against terrorism and against war • Preferred option: the sidelines (as “spectators”) • Entanglements at the UN

  10. … AND BARACK OBAMA? • Redefinition of war against terror • Afghanistan > Iraq • Al Qaeda ≠ Taliban • Rules of game more subtly applied • Re Latin America, changes in rhetoric and emphasis rather than substance • “Spectator” role regarding war on terror • Immigration • Drugs and drug trafficking • Preference for geo-economic game

  11. TWO-LEVEL GAMES • Geo-economic game + new geopolitical game, superimposed and simultaneous • Geopolitics > geo-economics if necessary • Low priority for region • Benefits of inattention (benign neglect?) • National preferences: which game to play? • Examples: • FTAs on basis of geopolitics • Reluctance on immigration reform • Allies in wars on drugs • Contradictions and trade-offs

  12. PLAYING THE GEOECONOMIC GAME

  13. 1. TURN TOWARD THE NORTH • Vicente Fox (Mexico) • Hopes for immigration reform • NAFTA as resource • Opposition throughout Latin America • Comrades in the War on Terror (Geopolitics too) • Colombia • Guatemala • The FTA Club • Chile [special case] • Central America + DR • Peru • Colombia • Panama

  14. 2. SUBREGIONAL HEGEMONY • Brazil (Lula + Dilma) • Grandeza brasileira • Resistance to FTAA • Mercosul and SAFTA and UNASUR • Venezuela (Chávez) • ALBA (Alternativa Bolivariana para las Américas) • International assistance programs • Alliances with Cuba and “pink tide” countries • Denunciations of Bush and USA • Resistance to FTAA (r.i.p.)

  15. 3. THIRD WORLD SOLIDARITY • Brazil (Lula + Dilma) • WTO • Group of 20+ (a.k.a. 21) • BRIC • Venezuela (Chávez) • Non-Aligned Movement • UN Security Council • Petroleum exporters (including Iran)

  16. 4. BEYOND THE HEMISPHERE • Europe • Divisions over Iraq • Concern about EU future • FTAs with Mexico, Chile • Distancing from/by Spain • Asia • Withdrawal of Japan • Eruption of “China fever” • PRC “strategic partnerships” with Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico; “cooperative partnership” with Chile, “friendly and cooperative relations” with Cuba • Iran? • Really?

  17. POWER RANKINGS:LATIN AMERICA Population GDP (bns) GNP/capita 1. Brazil 195 2,143 9,540 2. Mexico 113 1,035 8,910 3. Venezuela 29 394 11,630 4. Argentina 40 369 8,620 5. Colombia 46 286 5,480 6. Peru 29 154 4,630 7. Chile 17 216 10,750 others…? Note: NWFZ under Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967, 2002).

  18. BLOCS AND ALLIANCES • Rio Group (1986, 23 members) • Latin American Summit on Integration and Development (2008, 33 members) • CELAC (2010, 33 members) • Ibero-American Summits (1991) • MERCOSUR (1991, 4 members plus) • ALBA (2004, 6 + members) • UNASUR (2005, 12 members) • Alianza del Pacífico (2010, 4 members)

  19. CHOICES AND COROLLARIES • Act alone in global arena (a dubious enterprise) • Act in global arena with allies: • Within hemisphere • Outside hemisphere • Define relationship with United States: • Valued by USA • Critical of USA • Distant but correct • Demonstrate autonomy • Establish links throughout developing world • Seek level playing fields • Focus on geo-economics > geopolitics

  20. The End.

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