Frédéric Encel, the doctor in geopolitics and author of the book The Ways of Power. Thinking geopolitics in the 21st century sheds light on all the concepts of geopolitics, the central role of the State but above all the interest of power, and presents the new “powerful” leaders of this world.
Book: The Ways of Power
The purpose of this book is to highlight the paths that lead to power, "the criteria that characterize it, the conditions required to hope to achieve it, the capacities it confers, and the necessary understanding of its relativity".
Overused for a long time, the notion of power regains its full meaning. Admittedly, geopolitics feeds on multidisciplinarity, but power is no longer limited to the sole use of force. This particularly interesting and documented work is written in an alert style.
The Writer’s Perspective
Was the invasion of Ukraine a historical error and can it be called a drift? No, because there are no historical errors, there are only strategic or tactical errors!
There are only errors of appreciation and misreadings. The head of the Kremlin has certainly underestimated his adversaries and they are legion.
Political actors spend their lives gauging their own power, that of their adversaries, and especially that of their allies or supposed ones.
Because everything is arm wrestling in international relations. And any negotiation, however diplomatic, is a fight to score points, to win the bet. A peace conference is a bloodless battle and the most threatening participant is supposed to win.
At this precise moment, and with regard to the Ukrainian conflict, it is around questions of power that the world is holding its breath.
In this respect, we must rehabilitate the notion of prepotency and think about geopolitics in its entirety but also in its particularity. To do this, an arsenal of information is needed, namely historical resources.
Viewpoint Towards Ukraine
Encel first returns to the fundamentals, namely how the representations of a collective self will forge nations that will become powers. We become powerful by assuming our role as power, and the ways we use are diverse.
Zelensky is no longer negligible because he “dared to resist”, and yet who would have bet on him before the outbreak of the conflict?
And even if the wars do not have a good press, there exists according to the author of the "just wars". Moreover, without necessarily using force, a state can demonstrate its power in other ways.
Different Ways of Power
Finally, recalling that “inter-socialites” play an important role in our contemporary society, the author does not forget the new “powerful” of this world.
From the group of States to NGOs, to international justice, to religious, political, or economic groups, everyone finds their way.
Many have succeeded in imposing themselves such as multinationals, Gafam, religions, clans, regions, public opinion, great personalities, mafias, and terrorist groups, without forgetting the influence (possible?) of climate change or a pandemic. Could the ways and voices of power be infinite?
One Thing Is Certain
Even if the paths of power are multiple, the State remains the main actor in contemporary geopolitics and geography, a chance for some and bad luck for others.
Comments
Post a Comment