Class Discussion, 9/13

One thing that struck me about yesterday's class discussion was when one person said something to the effect of "Dick Cheney may be a realist, but he doesn't sit around and read The Guide to Realism." That made me think about the titles and importance we give to these theories we study. In the world of international politics, none of it matters. No world leader or ambassador thinks to himself 'Hmm, I better try a neoliberal approach to diplomacy this time.' Labeling someone as a follower of this theory or that is almost totally arbitrary. If we go up to Dick Cheney and call him a realist, it isn't going to make him think twice. He's just using the diplomacy he thinks is best, as most people do, whether they fall closer to neorealist theory or that of neoliberals.