Imagine two houses in a neighbourhood to compare. One house has all the qualities an ideal family should have. Their children regularly go to school, study hard and also play outdoor games. The husband and wife work together in house chores and in their respective workplaces. Both of them love each other and the atmosphere is overall peaceful. Another house sitting beside it consists of a chaotic family. The children and parents argue constantly and the entire neighbourhood knows that the conditions are just not good in the house.
If you were to live in this neighbourhood, which house would appeal more to you?
Axiomatically, it is the former one that any sane person would go for.
Now as we dive deep into using the same example with foreign policy, we get a deeper and profound understanding of how important domestic conditions are in International Politics. Foreign policy, according to Cambridge dictionary, refers to any government’s policy regarding how to deal with other countries. Many people, especially those who ignore global news, do not understand how important global conditions are. The Iran control of the Hormuz strait has led to s significant drop in sales of Crude oil and more so have made it skyrocketing expensive. There was a time a few months ago, when I went to a South Indian restaurant and Dosas were not available. Out of curiosity and astonishment, I asked the waiter about this.
He sighed and said, “Ma’am, gas ka problem chal raha haina war ki wajah se”
(Translation: “Ma’am, there is a lack of fuel due to war. right?”)
Someone who lives in rural India may not have any idea on who their External Affairs Minister is or about America capturing Nicolás Maduro but will definitely know the rising prices of petrol needed for his scooter. Foreign policy and Diplomacy is just as important to this man as the minister who adorns a suit in order to meet foreign delegates.
Domestic conditions truly affect Foreign Policy and how other countries approach you. If a civil war, criminal case (especially involving a foreign person as a victim) or protests happens in a country, then the overall foreign policy towards that country would be dimming itself. The relationship between the two areas suggest that policymakers should critically assess decisions about foreign affairs while also considering impacts on domestic issues and vice versa.
India’s foreign policy just after independence focused on being the one who is morally superior. However due to its own internal issues with regards to recurring wars with Pakistan and the 1962 war with China, India’s image in the world appeared to be merely a failed act of sanctimoniousness.
In a multipolar world we exist in today, the policy makers should make it a decision in itself to lead the country better internally so that other nations feel like they can connect with us even more- defense-wise, trade-wise and administration-wise.
The girls are talking. Get in the conversation.