Faust, John R

Introduction
In the 20th century, Europe and Asia have been major arenas for two world wars and nearly fifty years of Cold War. Along with North America, they have been the centers of the industrial, and more recently, the post-industrial revolutions, as well as the exporters of imperialism and neoimperialism. While the former conquered the world militarily, the latter controlled it after World War II through economic rather than military domination, sometimes described as neomercantilism. Cynics in the US have been heard to say that “Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, lost World War II, and now they own most of Hawaii.”
The above analysis falls under the rubric of the realist paradigm (RP). In its extreme form, within states, relationships are authoritarian, even totalitarian, and nondemocratic, benefiting ruling elites at the expense of the masses, through dominant subordinate relationships. Internationally, both in motivation and practice, the RP is based on threats, force, superior-inferior psychology, and the exploitation of others rather than relationships based on mutual self-interest and respect.
On the other hand, North America, Europe and Asia are increasingly moving towards the liberal paradigm (LP), which seeks peace, respect, political-democratic solutions (rather than the threat or use of coercion), economic development and well being for the masses as well as the elites, a marketplace of ideas as well as economic freedom, and the building of communities, both within and between nations.
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