International Relations: The Security Dilemma Research

International Relations
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The world has experienced various indelible events since antiquity.Thre have been bloody conflicts through the ages, and as time goes by, history seems to indicate that the conflicts will only get bloodier. Nations are coming up with special programs aimed at researching more on warfare. Large budgetary allocations, even in the United States, are channeled towards the same. The First World War was bloody, the second was even bloodier. The nations of the world have tried coming together under the banner of the United Nations, so as to prevent such deadly conflicts between states. It however looks like there is some virtual, ever-present cloud of anarchy, ruling the globe. Maintaining of this status quo of an anarchic system is a balancing act for these states, with dilemmas pertaining to global peace and security. This is the basis of the security dilemma.
The security dilemma is a leading and ever-present issue when it comes to international relations. In an anarchic system, the trigger of a security dilemma is the existence of selfish or predatory states within the system itself. This pits the battle between realism and neorealism. Neorealist nations all work towards ensuring that there is an environment of absolute security. Such an ideal environment means that in some way, either of them becomes the transgressor, although all in all, they work towards ensuring that there is security (Schweller, n.d.).In such a perspective, there is actually no situation of perfect anarchy; rather, there is the creation of a convenient environment that creates need rather than greed.
Security dilemma pits three issues; self preservation, balance of power, and world dominion. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. Whichever option that’s chosen, there is the other option that will be lost, or weakened to a large extent. Realism on the other hand traces this dilemma to the difference in interests between the states, taking it through a chronological odyssey from the time of cultural hegemony, power politics and living space in the earlier centuries, to the present focus on security. Tang (2009) believes that the security dilemma is the cause of the formation of alliances among various states, be it for defensive or offensive purposes. Security dilemma is what delicately holds th...