What was the impact of Soviets and American policies on the Middle Essay

What was the impact of Soviets and American policies on the Middle East - Essay Example The impact is usually characterised as the Israeli-Arab conflict which is not only attributed to super and world power intervention during the Second World War, but perpetuated and exacerbated by US and Soviet intervention during the Cold War Era (Azar, Jureidini & McLaurin, 1978). During the period from the Second World War to the end of the Cold War, the Middle East has been a cauldron of tensions and conflicts with major conflicts primarily concentrated around the Israeli-Arab conflict (Shlaim, 1996). Using the balance of power theory, this paper will analyse how and to what extent US and Soviet policies in the Middle East produced and/or contributed to these conflicts. These conflicts are arguably the main impact of US and Soviet policies in the Middle East. The classical balance of power theory argues that states align their allies and interests in the creation of an international system that ensures that no state is possessed of â€Å"overwhelming power† or dominancy over other states (Chatterjee, 1972, p. 51). The modified version of the balance of power theory is more appropriate to studies of Soviet and US relations and their policies in the Middle East. In this modified version of the balance of power theory, each of the super powers aligned their allies and interest in the Middle East as a means of preventing the spread and influence of the other super power in the region and globally (Walt, 1985). Under the modified version of the balance of power theory, competing states respond to one another in that when one state pursues hegemony aggressively through alignment with other states, the competing state will attempt to match that aggressive alignment (Walt, 1985). The US and the Soviet Union persistently attempted to â€Å"balance against aggregate power† (Walt, 1985, p. 35). As Walt (1985) explained, the US and the USSR saw each other as the â€Å"other’s greatest potential threat† and devoted their

Descartes and the Existence of Evil Demon Essay

Descartes and the Existence of Evil Demon - Essay Example Central to his argument is the fact that his knowledge of God is anchored on a distinct idea on the existence of a supreme being (Marion, 2008). As such, there must be the existence of an idea first before a given claim of body of knowledge is verified. For Descartes, this distinct idea resided in his mind. It is this idea that gave him the essence of God as a supreme being. It is an idea that could not be verified through empirical methods. The existence of an Evil Demon, in line with the thinking of Descartes, can only obtain if it is backed by a distinct idea.   There must first exist the essence of the Evil Demon that is developed into Descartes mind in order for him to make a claim about the existence of such a being. One of the central arguments upheld by Descartes is that essence relates to existence. It would follow logically that the absence of essence effectively eliminates all possibilities of existence. Without the essence of the Evil Demon in distinct form it would be vacuous to assert any claim of such an existence. Therefore, this would mean that Descartes could claim the existence of God but not make any assertions on whether or not some Evil Demon actually exists (Marion, 2008). Proof of such existence could be derived from other serious arguments, or by employing some logical claims outside the boundaries established by Descartes methods.   Descartes knowledge of God was based on the theory of ideas which people can relate with. He believed that it is possible for things to exist without their very nature of existence being confirmed by any evidence. He did not consider it necessary to seek out for measure of quantifiable evidence that would offer evidence for the existence of God. According to him, the mind can generate knowledge of its own through the power of intuition. The practice of intuition basically demands changing the mind to the essence of ideas without establishing the evidence of experience or