The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Why do states recognize the claims to self-determination of some separatist groups but not others? International recognition has important consequences in world politics, not least as a potentially decisive factor in the outcomes of secessionist bids. Yet the dynamics of recognition are poorly understood, often dismissed as an instance of "organized hypocrisy" in which normative standards play little part. This seminar examines the contentious diplomacy around international recognition, focusing on the strategies of legitimation pursued by existing states, the secessionists they confront, and their respective allies in international society, and the ways that perceptions of legitimacy structure the terms of political competition between them.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come-first served basis.