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Luc Reychler: A Pioneer in Sustainable Peacebuilding Architecture pp 301–324Cite as

Raison ou Déraison d’état: Coercive Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa

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Part of the book series: Pioneers in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice ((PAHSEP,volume 24))

Abstract

A first glance at today’s world confirms the prevalence of raison d’état in international relations and shows a higher level of raison in the defence and promotion of national interests (This text was first published as: Reychler, L. (2012). Raison ou Déraison d’État. Coercive diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa. In A. Fabian (Ed.), A Peaceful World is Possible (pp. 217–241). Sopron, Austria: University of West Hungary Press. Permission was granted.). We are living in the least violent period in history. Despite all of this, the “reason of the state” remains the focus of criticism. The bad press relates to:

  • the challenges to the reason of the state by other interests at lower and higher system levels,

  • the cost-ineffectiveness of ways and means used to defend or promote national interests and

  • changes in the moral-political climate.

Most disturbing are the coercive diplomacy and military interventions of the West in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). These interventions may benefit particular interest groups, but overall they are foreign policy failures. Within the decline of Western influence in the MENA lie seeds of hope for healthier relations in the future.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Luc Reychler has posted several articles that are related to this problem on the blog http://www.diplomaticthinking.com.

  2. 2.

    The mantra of economic growth has justified government intervention on behalf of big business.

  3. 3.

    The narrow definition of violence pays attention only to the number of people killed or wounded as a consequence of armed violence; the broad definition operationalizes violence as the reduction of the life expectancy of people resulting from the use of: armed violence, structural violence, psychological violence, cultural violence, ecological violence and bad governance.

  4. 4.

    The life average expectancies of a people can be lowered by the use of physical violence, structural violence, psychological violence, ecological violence, cultural violence, bad governance and corruption.

  5. 5.

    The term “raison de planete” was coined by Jacques Haers of the University of Leuven, Belgium.

  6. 6.

    Karl Deutsch coined the term “security community”.

  7. 7.

    This century the term “the West” is used more frequently, especially with respect to foreign policy in the MENA. The term refers to the US, the most assertive NATO members (the UK, France) and Israel.

  8. 8.

    The West should not encourage a sectarian showdown, but support a redistribution of power among Sunnis, Shi’ites and Christians. The Shiites are not getting a fair share in the current power structure.

  9. 9.

    TINA = there is no alternative.

  10. 10.

    International Herald Tribune (1 April 2011).

  11. 11.

    Figures obtained during Luc Reychler's ongoing research at the University of Leuven into the statistics of the Ethics of War.

  12. 12.

    This is explored further in Luc Reychler’s ongoing research into the role of time on the dynamics of conflict and peace.

  13. 13.

    The Economist (12 November 2011), p. 78.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, Leuven International and European Studies, Centre for Research on Peace and Development (CRPD), University of Leuven/KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Luc Reychler & Arnim Langer

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  1. Luc Reychler
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  2. Arnim Langer
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Correspondence to Luc Reychler .

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  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, Leuven International and European Studies, Centre for Research on Peace and Development (CRPD), University of Leuven/KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Luc Reychler

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, Leuven International and European Studies, Centre for Research on Peace and Development (CRPD), University of Leuven/KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Arnim Langer

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Reychler, L., Langer, A. (2020). Raison ou Déraison d’état: Coercive Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa. In: Reychler, L., Langer, A. (eds) Luc Reychler: A Pioneer in Sustainable Peacebuilding Architecture. Pioneers in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40208-2_14

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