Understandig the theory of realism.


To understand what the theory of realism is, I am going to propose a mental game to you, here you only have to imagine the world as a big poker table, do not be afraid if you have already had a bad time and lost a lot of money betting, in this casino you do not have to invest money and you do not have to be afraid of losing anything because it is a casino where the common man cannot play, at the table of the realistic world, there is only one type of gambler and the opinion of the outsiders does not change the game.

If the world were a giant casino the poker table would be where power is contested in every single hand, the states would be the players and the big states would be the high rollers. For the set of theories that recognise themselves as Realists, there are no more players in this casino of power.
In this gambling hall the bigger your chip stack the more likely you are to beat the house and the end always justifies the means.

Realism is an ancient theory that gained notoriety in the 20th century, it is a theory that still holds true when analysing the present day and is used all the time. Realism sees states as sovereign authorities playing in the international arena where hierarchy and power are constantly contested.

Competition for power is the driving force and ambition of states, turning the international arena into a hostile terrain where power is the goal and rules are anecdotal. War for realists is seen as a continuation of a state's policy, nothing more, nothing less. It is one of many means that allows a state to advance in the pursuit of a better position. 

It must be said that countries seek to position themselves in a position of superiority in order to ensure their survival in the long run. Realism and its various theories see this power competition as the result of fear between countries that leads each to seek the dominant power that can ensure the desired survival. Mersheismer explains this constant battle for power in an unique fashion "Strength ensures safety and the greatest strength is the greatest insurance of safety". 

We can say that realism explains why states are fated to clash and why they have been battling through history and that this period of peace between these high rollers is going to end in some moment and only one will survive.

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