Wealth is not the answer

Every state wants to pursue and improve their wealth. As we talked about in class, with wealth generally comes power and respect in the international community. With that said however, the acquisition of wealth cannot be seen as synonymous with domestic peace. It all comes down to the means by which wealth is acquired and also how the individual state allocates and distributes its resources.
In many circumstances, the pursuit of wealth leads to war.

Around the 16th century, the economic philosophy of mercantilism emergedm(http://www.econlib.org/Library/Enc/Mercantilism.html ). This meant more exports, fewer imports, and higher taxes. As nations raced to gather up resources, the result was often clashing between states. A good example of this is the spice trade of the late 17th century. The Dutch were determined to claim a monopoly on the spice industry, for this would surely lead to wealth and prosperity. What resulted was a great battle in the Banda islands that killed about 6,000 people. http://www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/asia/indonesia/spice_wars.php

Also, pursuit of oil and other resources leads to fighting abroad. Take the United States for example. Our government goes to great lengths to ensure that we have the oil we need to go about our life. It is a well known fact that when we purchase oil we help fund the very enemies we aim to defeat. Add in the environmental crisis that comes from burning fossils fuels and well, somehow, this just doesn’t seem like a good system.
I also think that wealth corrupts internally. Once a country becomes wealthy it’s entire culture is overtaken by wealth. Just look at American politics and popular culture. It’s all about the high-life.

In my opinion, the state should focus on maintaining sound relationships with its citizens and with the world community. This kind of respect comes by way of power and good-will. Mere economic prowess will not ensure good international relations. A good example of this is China. Although few dispute the fact that the Chinese are well on their way to becoming the world’s leaders in technology and industry, there is a great amount of contention regarding the Chinese government. They may be acquiring wealth but they are doing so at the cost of their citizens. According to a 2001 CNN report (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50/asian.superpower/three.gorges/), the highly criticized Three Gorges Dam that is being erected along the Yangtze River is estimated to displace about 1.2 Million people and have catastrophic ecological complications. Sure, it may provide more energy to allow the country to grow in the international market, but this is not creating peace. The 2008 Olympics, while surely a sign of wealth and power, have also been met with controversy.
So, rather than focus on simply gaining wealth, states should put their priorities into education, civil liberties, international respect, and humanitarian aid. I think these are all things that truly lead to peace. Only when the citizens of a state, along with the world community can respect the actions of a nation can peace be achieved.