2008-08-16

Georgia-Russia Conflict: End of Democratic Peace Theory?

In thinking about the hopefully-over conflict between Georgia and Russia, I realized that both countries are, theoretically, liberal democracies. The Democratic Peace Theory stipulates that democratic nations do not go to war with each other. Does this mean that the theory has been disproved? Also, does the Falkland Islands conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina (a much smaller conflict, of course) also stand as a contradiction to the theory? Any insights would be much appreciated.
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous8/18/2008 11:55 PM

    well, according to the link you had there, the wording is "never or almost never," so these could be a few exceptions to the rule. although i don't honestly know if i buy the theory - i don't know if being a liberal democracy necessarily makes you less likely to find fault and choose to start war with another democracy.

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  2. Anonymous8/19/2008 5:49 AM

    Tres interessante! I actually thought the same thing. However, I believe there are flaws to both the theory in itself (I always think of US' clandestine wars against several democracies they don't like all over the world) and to the concept of democracy applied to both Russia and Georgia.

    Nonetheless, I do think it is interesting and I can't think of any other two countries who both claim to be democracies and overtly wage war against each other. Next thing we know, Denmark and Sweden will be shooting kazaam rockets over öresund...

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  3. sr8/19/2008 5:35 PM

    anonymous,
    yeah, i feel like democratic peace is more a hypothesis based on the evidence they have (from the past century and a half) and will likely be refuted as more and more nations with opposing views and agendas become democracies.

    jakobo,
    i agree with the flawed nature of democratic piece. like i said to anonymous, i think it is a theory/hypothesis that will be refuted as more nations become democracies. and, of course, denmark and sweden will NEVER war with each other. hehehe.

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  4. Anonymous8/19/2008 6:49 PM

    According to the 2008 Freedom House report, “Russia does not have a democratic political system” http://www.freedomhouse.hu/images/fdh_galleries/NIT2008/NT-Russia-final1.pdf

    By sending troops into Georgia, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev violated the constitution of his state.
    http://halldor2.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/who-ordered-the-invasion-of-georgia-and-how/

    The decision to use military force outside the territory of the Russian Federation was taken without the approval of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, in violation of subparagraph “d” of paragraph 1, article 102 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
    http://www.theotherrussia.org/2008/08/20/russian-democratic-forces-on-the-georgia-conflict/

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  5. Anonymous9/25/2008 11:33 PM

    And Argentina was not a democracy at the time of the Falkland War (according to Tony Blair).

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