Hegemonic, Liberal & Revolutionary Internationalism Applied to the Economic Crisis in Greece
By Naomi Hill
As Greece’s economy continues to falter, the entire world wonders how to help. Greece used to be a fairly independent nation, but this economic crisis has caused a lot of people concern, both in and outside of Greece. A news article from late 2010 discusses the issue of children. Currently, parents are leaving their children at hospitals and churches. The article also spoke of a small girl who was sent to daycare with a note from her mother. It simply stated that the mother would not be picking the girl up, and that the daycare needed to find her a new home.
In terms of internationalism, this could apply to three types: hegemonic, revolutionary, and liberal. Liberal internationalism is the idea that liberal nations should intervene in other sovereign nations and their problems. Revolutionary internationalism is the idea that in order for change to occur, there must be some kind of revolution. It could be slow or quick, violent or non-violent. It’s simply a revolution. Hegemonic internationalism is the idea that one nation has more power or control than all of the other nations. While this may be untrue, it is still a concept that must be understood.
When applying these concepts to the current economic crisis in Greece, all three could apply. It just involves a little creative thinking. In terms of revolutionary internationalism, the people are unable to revolt at this time, but it could happen in the near future. If the economy continues to tank, it’s a very real possibility. With hegemonic internationalism, the supposed “superpower” nations of the world are trying to help. The European Union got involved, but nothing was really resolved. Greece’s economy still suffers. Liberal internationalism would have one believe that it’s a good idea for the world to intervene. Perhaps all Greece needs is to be left alone to pick up the pieces of their economy. Perhaps not. If all three types of internationalism are applied, maybe there will be a solution. Only time will tell.
