“Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.” Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essays

â€Å"Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.† Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essays â€Å"Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.† Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essay â€Å"Good Fences Make Good Neighbours.† Discuss This Statement with Reference to Politics. Essay Essay Topic: Fences Definition Fences (literal): freestanding structural markers that serve to enclose areas Fences (metaphorical): barriers to keep nations from infringing on each other’s space or meddling into each other’s affairs, so that an appropriate level of freedom is maintained Good fences: a meaningful barriers, be it physical or metaphorical, that are for the greater good Good neighbours: pleasant and agreeable â€Å"Good fences make good neighbours†: Countries that erect meaningful barriers maintain favourable relationships with their neighbours. Stand Disagree. Good fences do not make good neighbours. Counter-Arguments (Good fences make good neighbours) 1. Good fences prevent neighbouring countries from excessive meddling into each other’s affairs, which might otherwise lead to soured relationships. E. g. In 2004 when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong went to Taiwan for a 3 day visit, China was unhappy, but did not interfere excessively, and thus now, Singapore still maintains warm relations with China. E. g. Although China is against North Korea’s nuclear ambition, it has not used its considerable leverage to pressure North Korean into abolishing its nuclear programmes, unlike Japan and the USA. Hence, it remains an ally of North Korea. 2. Good fences make good neighbours as there are still gaps in a fence for communication, as opposed to a wall in which there is total isolation. E. g. The Berlin Wall separated West Berlin and East Germany for 28 years to stop the drainage of labour and economic output associated with the daily migration of huge numbers of professionals and skilled workers between East and West Berlin. The Wall blocked out communication between both sides, thus hindering both sides from settling their differences earlier to benefit the people of Berlin. Arguments (Good fences do not make good neighbours) 1. Good fences may be beneficial and meaningful for one country, but not advantageous for the other party. E. g. Great Wall of China it originated as a military fortification against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty and was extended during the Qin dynasty. This wall was favourable to the people of China but not to the tribesmen and many had lost their lives while attempting to cross the wall. E. g. In 2004, because of Palestinian terrorism, an overwhelming majority of Israelis were in favour of a security fence. However, the Palestinians charged that the fence violates international law, infringes their human rights, and imposes on them grave social and economic hardship. 2. Good fences would probably not make good neighbours if neighbours remain uncooperative. E. g. A decade ago, the US federal government built a 14-mile-long fence in San Diego, California, that borders Tijuana, Mexico. The barriers effectively reduced the number of illegal crossings and crime rates. On a larger scale, though, the fences have merely moved illegal trafficking to more remote areas on the 1,952-mile border. Smugglers have even constructed elaborate tunnels under the wall to smuggle drugs and possibly migrants. 3. Good fences do not make good neighbours because fences offset the feeling of exclusion and hostility towards the other party. E. g. The construction of a 500km electric fence along the northeastern oarder of Botswana in 2003 was meant to prevent interaction between Botswana’s and Zimbabwe’s cattle herds so as to halt the spread of the highly contagious foot and mouth livestock diseases. However, to ordinary Zimbabweans, the fence was seen as a symbol of their growing stigmatisation. They believed the fence was really meant to prevent them from going to Botswana so they voiced their frustration and protested the measures. Botswanan immigration officers reported in creasing acts of sabotage from the Zimbabwean side, including the removal of parts of the fence.