Writing to Persuade

Huntington’s essay “The Clash of Civilizations” written in 1993 describes a world where the fundamental source of conflict will be cultural with religion being the primary criteria defining civilizations. Huntington begins his paper by dismissing the possibility of conflict occurring for ideological or economic reasons (Huntington, Summer 1993). His thesis has been described as “theoretically simple, naturally subjective, and inherently problematic”. (Flynn-Piercy, 2011) This reminds me of reading military publications and seeing a picture of an Armor Fighting Vehicle or self-propelled Field Artillery piece referred to as a tank. The generalization is adequate for someone who does not understand the fundamental distinctions and their implication to forces on the battlefield; mistaking a vehicle not a tank for a tank is potentially lethal and can cause resources to be misallocated. Similarly by over generalizing and accepting Huntington’s theory based on his significant credentials and influence, without critical analysis, can lead to a policy completely unprepared for the reality of the true nature of the international environment and the potential for conflict.

Huntington’s credentials are impressive. They include graduating with distinction from Yale at age 18, a Masters from the University of Chicago, a Harvard Ph.D., Harvard University and Columbia University Professorships, Deputy Director of The Institute for War and Peace Studies, and founder of the prestigious Foreign Affairs journal. He was a consultant to the US Department of State in 1968 and provided strategic guidance on the conduct of the Viet Nam War. He was the White House Coordinator of Security Planning for the National Security Council during 1977 and 1978 within the Carter administration. Huntington was very influential in US policy. (Wikipedia)

The international environment is a dynamic place. To better understand the threats we face one must critically examine new theories

Bibliography: Flynn-Piercy, H. (2011, August 30). Huntington 's Clash of Civilizations. Retrieved from e - International Relations: http://www.e-ir.info/2011/08/30/huntingtons-clash-of-civilizations/ Fox, J. (2002). Ethnic Minorities and the Clash ofCivilizations: A Quantitative Analysis of Huntington’s Thesis. Retrieved from Havard.edu: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Acrobat/Fox_Clash.pdf Graham, J. (2004, May). Samuel P. Huntington 's Clash of Civilisations. Retrieved from History Orb: http://www.historyorb.com/world/clashofcivilizations.shtml Guidere, D. M. (2006, Mar). The Clash of Perceptions. Retrieved from Center for Advanced Defense Studies: http://cogprints.org/4838/1/CADS_pubs_clash_0306_final.pdf Henderson, E. A. (1998, September). The Democratic Peace Through the Lens of Culture, 1820-1989. Retrieved from International Studies Quarterly, Vol 42, Issue 3, Pages 461-484: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/0020-8833.00092/abstract Huntington, S. P. (Summer 1993). The Clash of Civilizations. Foreign Affairs 72 , 22-49. Russett, B. M., Oneal, J. R., & Cox, M. (2000, September). Clash of Civilizations, or Realism and Liberalism Deja Vu? Some Evidence. Retrieved from Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 37: http://www.svt.ntnu.no/iss/Indra.de.Soysa/POL2003H05/russet_oneal_cox_JPR.pdf Wikipedia. (n.d.). Samuel P. Huntington. Retrieved 2012, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_P._Huntington