The US Rogue States and the Dialogue with North Korea

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Once the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s the bipolar world order disintegrated with it, leaving the United States as the sole global superpower. Yet, the communism was not the only concern of Americans. In the early 1980s, this capitalist power already started sensing an overcoming threat of the international terrorism, which led to the emergence of a new group of enemies, namely, the rogue states. These countries are seen as a danger to the new unipolar world. The United States of America assumed a responsibility to contain these states and/or transform them into successfully functioning democracies. Currently this is being done by military interventions and sanctions. However, one special state arises – North Korea . It is the most aggressive of the group, but enjoys the most diplomatic approach. This paper’s aim is to understand why North Korea is receiving a different treatment compared to its comrade dictator states. This will be done as follows. Firstly, the definition(s) of the rogue states will be provided. Secondly, the critique of the American standpoint will be given. Finally, the reasons for the treatment of the DPRK will be addressed.
The term rogue states entered the global politics arena in early 1980s, when the US became concerned about the issues of international terrorism and the states sponsoring it (Mitchell 2). Right from the beginning the exact definition of the rogue states has been complex and shifting in accordance to the changes in the US foreign policies. Based on Anthony Lake these are “recalcitrant and outlaw states that not only choose to remain outside the family [of democratic nations] but also assault its basic values” (45). As argued by Professor Sara McLaughlin Mitchell the rogue sta...

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...Apr. 2014.
Howard, Peter. "Why Not Invade North Korea? Threats, Language Games, and U.S. Foreign Policy." International Studies Quarterly 48.4 (2004): 805-28. Web.
Huntington, Samuel P. "The Lonely Superpower." Foreign Affairs 78.2 (1999): 35-49. JSTOR. Web.
Griffiths, Martin, and Terry O'Callaghan. International Relations: The Key Concepts. London: Routledge, 2002. Print.
Lake, Anthony. "Confronting Backlash States." Foreign Affairs 73.2 (1994): 45-55. JSTOR. Web.
Mitchell, Sara McLaughlin, and Peter F. Trumbore. "Rogue States and Territorial Disputes." Conflict Management and Piece Science (2013): 1-17. Web.
Song, Sang-ho. "N.K. Artillery Strikes S. Korean Island." The Korea Herald. N.p., 23 Nov. 2010. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Smith, Derek Delbert. Deterring America: Rogue States and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006. Print.

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