France and Nigeria: The World is not Flat
I have been making this crucial point for months. The CNN correspondent tries very valiantly, to make this an emotional issue in a flat world. However, international politics abhors both a flat world and an over-emphasis on emotion.
The world of international politics is not flat. Every state does not have the same set of interests, and all states do not have equal materials capabilities, with which to promote and defend their interests. Furthermore, national interests are the most important motivators of state actions, not emotions.
With respect to Boko Haram, and the international response to it, the most important thing to remember is that given the points highlighted above, the international community and the major powers are unlikely to react in the same way they have, to the terrorist attacks in France, given a similar attack in Nigeria, firstly because the major powers have more at stake (national interests) in France than they have in Nigeria.
Due to the fact that other powers expect that in the long run, they will need good relations with the major powers, they will tend to align themselves to the stance of the major powers on such matters. That is one reason, for instance, why it is possible for the United States to launch the Iraq War, even with opposition from such allies as France and Germany, and yet end up with the United Nations assisting with the problems that the American decision led to.
Secondly, most of the intelligence services and the major powers know that Nigeria and its political leaders have been playing crass politics, with the existential threat that Boko Haram represents, for Nigeria. France will never do such a thing. Imagine this scenario. A man with a criminal record, who is a suspected supporter of either Al Qaeda or ISIS presents himself to France as a presidential candidate. What is the likelihood that such a man will eventually be elected president? The probability of that happening is .0005. In Nigeria, such a person will be elected president.
For a long time, arms from the national armoury were wilfully transferred to Boko Haram, in the grand traditions of corruption in Nigeria. At the same time, Nigerian authorities, even including the country's military have sought to extend the corrupt tradition, by playing diversionary politics with the problem.
Thus, as ridiculous as it is, they claim that the reason why Boko Haram has not been defeated is that the United States and its allies have refused to sell arms to Nigeria. Note that at the same time, Boko Haram could get the weapons that it needs, to fight the Nigerian military. Also note that Nigeria has no divine right to arms from the United States and the NATO alliance.
CNN addresses issues for both France and Nigeria and why Nigeria is not a priority
YOUTUBE.COM
I have been making this crucial point for months. The CNN correspondent tries very valiantly, to make this an emotional issue in a flat world. However, international politics abhors both a flat world and an over-emphasis on emotion.
The world of international politics is not flat. Every state does not have the same set of interests, and all states do not have equal materials capabilities, with which to promote and defend their interests. Furthermore, national interests are the most important motivators of state actions, not emotions.
With respect to Boko Haram, and the international response to it, the most important thing to remember is that given the points highlighted above, the international community and the major powers are unlikely to react in the same way they have, to the terrorist attacks in France, given a similar attack in Nigeria, firstly because the major powers have more at stake (national interests) in France than they have in Nigeria.
Due to the fact that other powers expect that in the long run, they will need good relations with the major powers, they will tend to align themselves to the stance of the major powers on such matters. That is one reason, for instance, why it is possible for the United States to launch the Iraq War, even with opposition from such allies as France and Germany, and yet end up with the United Nations assisting with the problems that the American decision led to.
Secondly, most of the intelligence services and the major powers know that Nigeria and its political leaders have been playing crass politics, with the existential threat that Boko Haram represents, for Nigeria. France will never do such a thing. Imagine this scenario. A man with a criminal record, who is a suspected supporter of either Al Qaeda or ISIS presents himself to France as a presidential candidate. What is the likelihood that such a man will eventually be elected president? The probability of that happening is .0005. In Nigeria, such a person will be elected president.
For a long time, arms from the national armoury were wilfully transferred to Boko Haram, in the grand traditions of corruption in Nigeria. At the same time, Nigerian authorities, even including the country's military have sought to extend the corrupt tradition, by playing diversionary politics with the problem.
Thus, as ridiculous as it is, they claim that the reason why Boko Haram has not been defeated is that the United States and its allies have refused to sell arms to Nigeria. Note that at the same time, Boko Haram could get the weapons that it needs, to fight the Nigerian military. Also note that Nigeria has no divine right to arms from the United States and the NATO alliance.
CNN addresses issues for both France and Nigeria and why Nigeria is not a priority
YOUTUBE.COM
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