Episode 6 – International Relations: Countries Are Just People with Bigger Problems

Episode Overview

In this episode, we explore how countries behave remarkably like people in international relations, with a special focus on how we anthropomorphize complex nation-states by attributing human emotions, behaviors, and relationship dynamics to them. We examine that moment when you realize global politics is essentially high school drama but with nuclear consequences.

• The Anthropomorphism Phenomenon: That quirky tendency to describe entire countries as having feelings – “Russia’s feeling threatened,” “China’s pursuing its interests,” or “America wants to maintain its leadership position”
• Research-Backed Insights: Drawing from studies by Keynes, Gaddis, Barnett & Finnemore, Drezner, Pape, and others spanning decades of international relations theory
• Global “Adulting” Patterns: How different diplomatic relationships mimic human interactions – from passive-aggressive breakups (Treaty of Versailles) to the silent treatment (Cold War) to neighborhood property disputes (border conflicts)

Key Topics Explored

Diplomatic Relationships as Personal Drama

• Treaty of Versailles: History’s most passive-aggressive breakup agreement (Keynes, 1920; Sharp, 2018)
• The Cold War: Two superpowers giving each other the silent treatment for 40 years (Gaddis, 2006)
• The United Nations: A group chat where everyone’s notifications are on but responses are optional (Barnett & Finnemore, 2004)

Economic Interactions with Human Emotions

• Sanctions: The international equivalent of “I’m not inviting them to my birthday party” (Drezner, 1999; Pape, 1997)
• Trade Agreements: Countries “competing” and “protecting” economic interests like shoppers at a market (Gilpin, 2001; Rogowski, 1989)
• News Literacy: How headlines about “tensions rising” can mean anything from strongly worded letters to submarines (Jervis, 1976)

Territorial Issues as Neighborhood Disputes

• Border Conflicts: Countries fighting over invisible lines like arguing neighbors (Forsberg, 2003)
• South China Sea: The ultimate fence fight but with battleships (Kaplan, 2014)
• Ocean Claims: “My towel was here first” on an international scale (Hayton, 2014)
• Alliances: Complicated friend groups described as “partnerships” or “friendships” (Walt, 1987)

Why We Can’t Stop Seeing Countries as People

• We understand abstract concepts through concrete human experiences (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980)
• Mental shortcuts help us predict behavior and make moral judgments (Crawford, 2000)
• “States are people too” – not literally, but in how we understand them (Wendt, 1999)