Why Liberalism Is Better Than Realism

There are many International Political theories around the world. Two of these theories that are very prominent around the world are liberalism and realism. In my personal opinion, I feel that realism is wrong, and that I most definitely agree with liberalism. Within the realist theory, individuals emphasize that relative gains are better than absolute gains, and that economic gains are only helpful to help improve militaristic gains. Realists also believe that military power is always dominant, instead of trying to cooperate with other countries. I personally that this couldn't be any farther from the truth, and that there are many other options rather than going to war with a another country. Liberalists believe that the world can be a very harsh place, and that the consequences of using militaristic force definitely outway the benefits that could be gained. Liberalists also believe that use of economic power is way more effective than the use of military power, and that there is much more you could gain. As well as this, liberalists believe that if universal laws were developed, they could help create cooperation between countries and eliminate the need for militaristic force. There are many examples of how liberalism has prevailed over realism around the world, and how overall realism is wrong and liberalism is right.

One example of why liberalism is better than realism is the relationship between the United States and China. The United States and China are two economic powerhouses, and if they did not have a diplomatic relationship, it could be very detrimental to both countries. Both countries recognize the other as an economic partner, and both countries benefit as a result of this partnership. This partnership helps boost the economies of both countries, bettering both countries while limiting the chance of a militaristic conflict. From a realist’s standpoint, whenever a conflict has occurred between these two countries, militaristic force should have been used to resolve the problem, instead of a diplomatic approach. If this has occurred, these countries could have lost this economic relationship, weakening the economies of both of these countries. With the liberalist theory, these countries have been able to resolve any problems diplomatically, saving the economic bond between the two countries.

Another example of how liberalism is better than realism is the creation and the use of the United Nations. The United Nations was created to help promote international peace, which is a big aspect of liberalism. The United Nations helps to stop conflict between countries, and prevent wars from breaking out. This shows that the United Nations was created using liberalist ideas, once again proving that the liberalism theory is better than the realism theory. If the United Nations was created using realistic ideology, then they would promote war and militaristic force when arguments would arise between countries, which would not benefit the world in any way. There are little to no scenarios where militaristic force would be better than a diplomatic approach, shown in past experiences where countries were completely destroyed because of war.

Those who believe in the realism theory of international politics are obviously those who result to violence, and prefer rash decisions rather than trying to approach from a diplomatic standpoint that could be better for both countries. Through these examples, it can be seen that the liberalist theory is far safer and overall better for countries around the world than the realist theory.