Instability in Modern Day Jordan

The Middle East is among the most war-torn and politically unstable regions in the world. While this is unfortunate, it provides an interesting area to study through the lens of globalization and international relations. Globalization here is taken to mean the development of interconnected cultural, economic and political systems across the world. The western and westernized nations are consistently involved in the Middle East's affairs. This involvement comes in monetary, military, and advisory assistance to western allies. To examine this in conjunction with current events and political instability in Jordan, and advise the United States on their response, Robert Satloff and David Schenker wrote “Political Instability in Jordan, Contingency Planning Memorandum Number 19.” More analysis of United States involvement in Jordan is present in the the article “Jordan agrees to host US training of Iraqi military after al-Qaida gains” written by a source at the associated press in Amman. This article examines the Jordanian government’s decision to host the training of Iraqi soldiers in response to al-Qaida aggression. Finally, “As Syrian Refugees Develop Roots, Jordan Grows Wary” by Norimitsu Onishi examines the additional pressure the war in Syria, and the refugees from it, puts on Jordan. Jordan is currently under pressure from all sides due to the terrorist activity in Iraq, war in Syria, and political instability. Overall these pressures combine to create massive stress on the Jordanian government, and more specifically on the Jordanian King Abdullah II.

“Political Instability in Jordan, Contingency Planning Memorandum Number 19,” is an extensive article which describes in depth the current political unrest in Jordan....

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These articles certainly spurred many questions in my mind. I am curious what it is that makes the Middle East so filled with political and social unrest. It seems curious that some of the oldest nations are locations of some of the greatest strife and frustration in the modern day. It makes me wonder if all nations, including the larger developed nations, will some day become war-torn and politically unstable in the future. It seems that much of the unrest is caused by cultural differences between peoples. In America we seem to get along just fine, but the melting pot idea concerns me in that it could lead to infighting between cultures in the U.S. far beyond what we have seen thus far. I think that studying the Middle East will ultimately spawn more questions than answers, but if nothing else that makes it an area boundlessly intriguing to learn about.