Understanding Geopolitical Imagination

1UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF GEOPOLITICAL IMAGINATION

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

School of Multidisciplinary Studies

Consular and Diplomatic Affairs Program

The Countries of Israel and India as an Interpretive Guide in

Understanding the Concept of Geopolitical Imagination

Christelle M. Jovenir

Student of Consular and Diplomatic Affairs

May, 2013


Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures...............................................................................................................3

I. Abstract........................................................................................................................................4

II. Introduction.................................................................................................................................5

III. Case Description .......................................................................................................................6

IV. Review of Related Literature ....................................................................................................9

The Geopolitical Imagination and the Enframing of Development Theory................................9

Geopolitics and the International Relations

Geopolitical Imagination: The Importance of Maps.................................................................11

The Emigration State and the Modern Geopolitical Imagination..............................................12

Theorizing Religious Nationalism: The Case of American Christian Zionist

National Allegiance to Israel.....................................................................................................13

The Pattern and Causes of Economic Growth in India..............................................................14

V. Discussion.................................................................................................................................15

Israel’s Contrasting Geopolitical Imaginations.........................................................................16

Geopolitical Possibilities: India, the Next Economic Superpower?..........................................19

VI. Conclusion...............................................................................................................................22

VII. References..............................................................................................................................23


List of Tables and Figures

Figure 1: McArthur’s Universal Corrective Map

Figure 2: Map of Israel Showing the Occupied Palestinian and Syrian

Territories

Figure 3: Bilateral Trade between U.S. and Israel

Figure 4: U.S. Trade Deficit with Israel

Figure 5: Israel and Part of Europe at the Edge of the Mediterranean Sea

Figure 6: India’s GDP Growth

Figure 7: India’s Stock Index Has Outperformed Chinese and U.S. Markets

Table 1: Structure of Indian GDP


Abstract

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Israel has five contrasting geopolitical imaginations; 1. Geographically, it is located in the Middle East, however, it feels disoriented in the region due to different acts of discrimination and condemnation that it is receiving from its neighboring countries; 2. Israel sees itself as a geographical extension of Europe at the verge of the Eastern Mediterranean; 3. Other states perceived Israel as the “Fifty First State” of the United States of America; 4. Israel is executing its “ethnocentric version” against the Palestinians; and 5. Israel has a geopolitical position of being at the center of the world.

Keywords: ? Geopolitical imagination,


INTRODUCTION

After long years of being neglected due its previous incorporation with the policies of

Nazi Germany, the notion of the importance of Geopolitics in understanding the fast political

changes in this cotemporary world had returned. This restoration and recovery of Geopolitics led

the politicians and scholars to critically analyze the fast changing world map (Newman, 1998).

According to analysts, the rapid changes in the context of politics between states are brought

about by the phenomenon of Globalization. This present trend which greatly varies between the

relationships of states was further utilized and initiated by the notion of speed rooting from the

improved technologies. Amplified mobilization due to the impacts of cyberspace technology

made the people from different states more connected, thus, giving an impression that the world

is shrinking in size. In this course of events, states are starting to ask of what is their

contemporary position in the world system. This question was raised due to the fact that states

are starting to realize that their own physical geographical location is inadequate to aid their

inquiries. Hence, due to the increased connection, the more important factor is the geopolitical

imagination of a country, which refer to its own picture of where it suit into the international

system and, identically, how other states in that similar system looks at it.

According to John Agnew’s formal definition of the concept, Geopolitical Imagination

refers to the varied actions of states which are not only confined within the idea that they need to

compete over territories, but, in this contemporary world system, states do certain actions

because it is how and where it perceives itself and how other states assessed or view the latter’s

position. The geopolitical imagination of states greatly affects foreign policy. This concept can

be seen in every sovereign state which performs actions upon their perceived geopolitical

imagination. Two of the best areas to analyze Geopolitics in today’s world are the countries of

Israel and India. The concept of geopolitical imagination in Israel is diverse, having five different

perceived situations which will be enumerated and analyzed in this paper. One of which is

Israel’s own perception of being a geographical extension of Europe. Another case example is

the current geopolitical imagination of other states in relation to India, wherein world leaders see

this country as the world’s fastest growing economy by 2014 (Lubin, 2011). Considering the

emergence of issues in the countries of Israel and India, this paper will focus in these two states

to fully understand the concept of geopolitical imagination. After the series of information and


testimonies, this paper will try to present that despite the established geopolitical perception and

imagination by these two states and other states towards them, what will be the possible reasons

that will make these countries’ own geopolitical imagination turn out to be just momentary?

Using different analysis from different geopolitics experts, I will try to justify and rationalize the

presence of geopolitical imagination in the countries of Israel and India and how these perceived

ideas affected their foreign policies and relationship with other states. This paper also detailed

the varied actions by other states which will change the perceived ideas of these two countries,

thus, answering the target question.

CASE DESCRIPTION

One of the best areas to observe and analyze Geopolitics in this contemporary world

system is Israel. This is not only due to the reason that Israel’s citizens struggle to determine

their identity in a dominant post-Zionist society, but also the state’s struggle to know its role in

the world system. This country has five different and to some instances, contrasting geopolitical

imaginations. First, geographically, Israel is located in the Middle East. As a common position,

other states would want to integrate itself with its neighbors, and this can be attained if they

make peace with them. But, average Israelis felt disoriented with the cultures binding the region.

This reaction of disorientation has rooted historically from the anti-Israel propaganda from

certain Muslim countries who happened to be the country’s neighbors. The perception of Muslim

opposition to Israel is motivated by the idea of anti-Zionism which is a worldwide Jewish

movement that resulted into the establishment and development of the Israeli state. As a result,

Jews under Muslim rule faced systematic discrimination, persecution, and at times, violence

(Karsh, 2006). These opinions by the neighboring Muslim countries towards Israel even found

their own reason to execute such actions on the grounds of believing that the Israeli people do

have a different type of culture and therefore as what these neighboring states believe, it is

justified to maltreat them.

On the other hand, Israel also sees itself as the geographical extension of Europe at the

edge of the Eastern Mediterranean, where cultures, religions, and continents meet.


This perception of Israel regarding their geographical position was not only due to the reason

that the country was created by Europeans, maintaining institutions and structures which have

transformed and evolved as a result of the European experience, but, also it was brought about by

the similarity of cultures of these two entities, considering the connection of their geographical

location at the verge of the Eastern Mediterranean. There has even been a study which presented

the strong link and association of the Israelis to the European culture. The latter found out that

Israelis would rather choose not to forfeit their membership on the European Soccer Leagues

wherein they have struggled so long to gain entry or even at the Eurovision Song Contest than

picking the exchange of it for their Middle Eastern equivalents (Newman, 1998). Throughout

history, the relationship between Europe and Israel is complex, tense, and loaded. Though there

are established gaps between their perspectives, many observers believe that their relationship is

still present. The European-Israeli relations in the areas of trade, science, culture, and sports have

evolved, expanded, and has only been partly affected by the political divergence happening in

each of the two regions. The relationship between Israel and the European countries requires

assessment from different angles. From the angle or aspect of territory and population, Europe

and Israel are not comparable entities, considering that the latter is smaller in size and number of

people partly surrounded by mortal enemies, while the European Union consisting of several

states with hundreds of millions of citizens. The other reason to look at the relationship between

these two regions at different angles is the ongoing discriminatory criticism by the European

Union and many of its member states against Israel in recent years which appears to be stemming

primarily from Europe’s characteristics, history, and worldview (Gerstenfeld, 2005). Thirdly is

the appearance of Israel as the “Fifty First State” of the United States of America. This idea was

established by the fact that Israel still continues to greatly depend on the American financial and

political aid. This can be seen in the current news affairs of the country wherein the United States

is strongly reaffirming its support to Israel against its neighboring Muslim countries. The Israelis

have also become highly Americanized in their consuming orientations. Due to the proliferation

of cyberspace and cable television, it has been implicitly implied that the borders of the state of

Israel has not been considered as a hindrance in order for the American ideas to enter and be


adapted. The latter situation can be seen into the houses and homes of all Israelis which has

American touch into their every salon. This situation is not different to the impact of

globalization which is present everywhere in the contemporary world, making the United States

the single largest superpower in every aspect achieved by its military force. Implicitly, this is the

bona fide meaning of the global village of which the Israeli society has become a member. Next

is the ethnocentric version of Israel against the Palestinians and how it is perceived by these

people fighting for international recognition. In this situation, Israel’s perception does not rest

within its borders. One would argue that it is a state without borders for its citizens are the whole

Jewish community. In this image, a Jewish family has more rights to buy their own land in a

certain place than a Palestinian family who have resided there uninterruptedly for years. The

Israelis have regarded these people within their state as different, wherein the latter’s situation is

the same with the perception of other Arab countries towards Israel. Lastly, there is an

established notion of Israel’s geopolitical position as being located at the very center of the

world. This is not only based on the Judaism point-of-view, but, even the groups of Christianity

and Islam view this country as an important part of the globe, a place to which all eyes are

turned. The activities of the neighboring states do not necessarily depend on the idea of it as the

“Holy Land”, the “Promised Land”, or the “Jerusalem of Above”, but, it is due to the fact that

Israel remains to be the center of world attention. The conflicts within their country receive more

media attention than anywhere else in the world. Referring to media attention alone, an observer

can articulate and believe that Israel is the world’s only mega-state, and not just a plain land

territory which stretches a mere 75 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan Valley

(Newman, 1998).

Another case example is the current observation and assessment of other states towards

India. Despite the fact that about 42% of the world’s poor lives in India as recorded by an

information from the World Bank, at present, world leaders perceived this country as the world’s

fastest growing economy by 2014. In the same year, it is also stated that up to 25% of the

world’s new workers will be Indian. This is brought about by their growing population which

ranks second in the world ranking of countries (CIA, 2012). Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

per capita quadrupled from 2007 and presumably up to 2020. The country’s technology capital

Bangalore has now more Grade-A offices than Singapore. According to Reuters, property prices

in Mumbai and Delhi have quadrupled in the past one year. Considering the importance of


technology and the emergence of Information Technology (IT) workers and services, half of the

world’s outsourced IT services come from India which then amounts to a $47 billion dollar

industry. Despite the issues of possible instant downturn of India’s economy due to a large

percentage of contribution coming from Multinational Corporations (MNCs) specifically from

Wal-Mart, it is undeniable that by maintaining the demand for the services of the latter, it was

able to outsource $1 billion from IT contracts to India. The country is also the world’s second

largest importer of arms and has spent $50 billion on defense purchases alone in the last decade.

Its entertainment sector, particularly in the aspects of movie production, was able to compete

with America and Canada combined. In the year 2010, it was able to sold $3.2 billion movie

tickets, even bigger than the movie market of the two previous countries. In terms of the aspects

of politics, India has 568 million more registered voters than the U.S. and according to reports; it

has a better turnout ratio. As an overall assessment of its economy, it used to account for 33% of

the world’s GDP and despite the decreased by 3% in its economic growth for the past years, it

may now rise to 25%. According to Goldman Sachs’ future outlook for the country of India, it

sees the country surpassing the U.S. economy in 2050, trailing only China (Lubin, 2011). In the

Indo-Pacific region, the country was also able to develop a good relationship with Australia.

These two countries have discussed matters about Nuclear Energy and Regional Cooperation,

continuing the sales of uranium from Australia to India. This intensified cooperation and

connection between these two key Indo-Pacific States, resulted into the amplification of the

influence by the United States towards the region, in order for the latter to secure its power

(Stratfor, 2012).

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The Geopolitical Imagination and the Enframing of Development Theory

By David Slater, 1993


All the major changes in the developmental concepts in the realm of geopolitics took

place in the post-war period. The theory of modernization which started from the developing

countries reflected the will of every state in attaining geopolitical power. This desire of every

state was brought about by their own respective geopolitical imagination, which had varying

effects on the enframing or covering of the meanings and relations of development among states.

The established geopolitical imagination or perception of a State upon itself and other States

towards the latter, gives legitimization or approval on their actions that is the series of needed or

practical interventions to the perceived subordinate States or countries of the Third World. This

idea was supported by related liberal readings of development in the 1980s that discussed about

the rapidly changing geopolitical conditions. One of which is the connection between

Geopolitics and the North-South relations which cannot be separated from a series of

geopolitical events such as the Cuban Revolution, nor from the perceived need on the part of

critical Latin American intellectuals to question and challenge the importance of modernization

for the periphery. In the course of events covering the disintegration of the Second World

countries and the sudden disappearance of the “Soviet Threat”, a new presence is threatening the

West. Emerging unpredictable regimes and non-Western religions are starting to occupy the

West’s sphere of influence. Another factor are the moral questions raised by Hosle (1992) about

the increasing gap between the First and Third World countries, especially the unequal

distribution of income which became the central issue during the post-war period. Also, due to

this new trend of dominance, scholars have linked “geopolitics” to “imperialism” as a central

feature of the contemporary global power. One example of which is an article written by

Mohanty (1992) referring to the United States of America as a geopolitical power during the

1990s seeing that the latter had dominated the space territory due to their advanced technology.

Through the series of events, a line has been drawn between global capitalism, also known as the

exploitation in economics and nation-state alliances which led to dominance in geopolitics.

Several researchers’ ideas had been integrated into this article regarding the shift of

attention of the world into the importance of geopolitical imagination among States. The

definition of the concept made by Slater is based on the grounds of John Agnew’s own

explanation of the idea. Considering the presence of other factors other than the competition over

territories to ensure a State’s influence which was aided by the phenomenon of globalization, the

information in this article is inclined with the idea of Agnew that geopolitical imagination is the


own perception of a State on where it thinks it fit in the world system and how other States

perceived the resulting actions. It has been indicated that countries are attaining their perceived

position in a new trend, that is, through developing and boosting their economy, improving their

technological capabilities, and settling the established opinions about the existence of

subordinate States or poor countries. The latter had been perceived as experiencing inequality

when it comes to economic distribution and political alliances. It has been internationally

received that strong states will incorporate themselves to another strong state to create a balance,

thus, avoiding each other from attaining the peak of geopolitical dominance.

Geopolitics and the Study of International Relations

Geopolitical Imagination: The Importance of Maps

By Semra Rana Gokmen, 2010

Geopolitics became possible when seeing the whole world became viable. Thus, from

this statement, the field of geopolitics largely relied on geography. On the other hand, Agnew

suggests that “the history of modern world politics has been structured by practices based on a

set of understandings about the way the world works that together constitute the elements of the

modern “geopolitical imagination”. Though the players which are the States and the power

balances between them have changed, the modern geopolitical imagination still remains

dominant in framing or creating the conduct of foreign policies of every State in this current

world politics. It focuses on the global visualization which became possible with the

development of modern maps. All special and grand strategies depend on world maps; therefore,

the map is the main source of a State’s basic assumption. But, David Stephens, writer of the

article “Making Sense of Maps” and is also a cartographer, labeled maps as not a commonplace

and it needs to be questioned. He proposed that if we are to study geopolitics and international

relations, it is necessary to have a closer look at maps and the assumptions built upon them, for

these can affect international politics and in conceptualizing decisions. Thus, if we are to study

the relations of States, we need to know how to read “their” maps. Modern maps of certain States

cater not the literal land location of a State, hence, the position of being in the North or up, South

or down, East or right, and West or left of the globe is not important, but, it is the “orientation”

executed and decided upon by its people. Stuart McArthur’s “Universal Corrective Map” is an


important example for this situation. He generated an “upside-down” map version of the world,

putting Australia, his homeland, at the top. In the past, religion has also played a significant role

in map orientations. Early cartographers often placed Jerusalem at the center of their maps, due

to the notion of it being a Holy Land. On the other hand, Islamic maps has been oriented at the

south to Mecca, thus, in their maps, south was shown at the top of the world.

Figure 1: McArthur’s Universal Corrective Map

Source: McArthur, S. (2006). McArthur’s Universal Corrective Map. ODT Maps. Retrieved November 28, 2012 from http://odtmaps.com/detail.asp_Q_product_id_E_McA-23x35

Maps are also incorporated with power. German cartographers presented an example of

the use of map for their own propaganda of territorial expansion. Geopolitical Imagination has

been an invisible force that guided mainstream international decisions.

The Emigration State and the Modern Geopolitical Imagination

By Alan Gamlen, 2008


This article presented how a large number of states relate to their diasporas or the

dispersion of people from their respective homelands. It shows how States constitute different

extra-territorial groups as part of their original group, through a set of diverse institutions and

practices. It presented two types of diaspora mechanism: the first recognize their community of

origin, and the other which puts the people into a deep connection from where they came from. It

is normal for States to have such mechanisms traversing beyond their borders and affecting

certain other groups. It is proposed that it is more valid to view these institutions and practices

collectively as “the emigration state”. This article argues that the emigration state has been

ignored by what John Agnew’s modern geopolitical imagination is proposing, wherein territorial

nation-state units are locked into an international competition and are thought to be the highest

form of political organization. Transferring from a state into another has been a new trend of

strategy to create an influence within a sphere. A key factor in this tactic is the population of a

State. Having a large population requires extra land masses to cater the needs of its citizens’

respective families. This necessity can be supported by the idea of emigration into other States.

This large group of people can have a large impact into their respective host countries. They can

serve as part of the host country’s largest percentage of work force, thus, diverting large amounts

of international income to their countries of origin.

This article is inclined with the purpose of studying geopolitical imagination and its

connection with the concept of emigration, wherein, one of the case examples is the country of

India. Certain information and factors about their possible dominance in the world system was

affected by the fact regarding the country’s diaspora of citizens rooting from its large and

increasing population.

Theorizing Religious Nationalism: The Case of American Christian Zionist National

Allegiance to Israel

By Tristan Sturm, 2010

This article contributed recent literature on theories under the field of sociology and

anthropology in discussing the topics relating religion and nationalism. Explicit and well-known

examples of these functional, instrumental, and facilitative uses of religion are currently applied

in Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United States among many others. Such a tally is clearly not


exhaustive of the ways religion and nationalism is fused, but it is this taxonomy that illustrates

the American Christian Zionist case study for this article. Christian Zionists, in brief, are made

up of socially conservative evangelicals and Pentecostals who believe the wars in the Middle

East threatens an imminent “End Times” scenario which will be centered in the modern state of

Israel where a clash between Satan’s Russian and Arab led armies meet those Westerners who

are non-Christian but, nevertheless, serve Christ’s army. As John Agnew notes, “much

nationalism and imperialism have found purpose and justification in religious difference and in

proselytizing.” Nationalism is comprised of many sentiments of devotion, but territory and a

geopolitical imagination of it is a key, especially in contrast to common enemies and neighboring

territories. Because of the nationalist identification of “internal” and “external”, “our nation” and

“their nation”, Agnew argues that these binaries make nationalism the most territorial of all

major ideologies among socialism, liberalism, and nationalism. Herb and Kaplan argue that

“territory becomes a vital constituent of the definition and identification of the group living

within it” (Herb & Kaplan, 1998; Sturm, 2010). The belief of the majority of Christian

Americans coincided with Israel’s sentiments and the established belief towards them from the

international community.

It has been presented that alliances between States are also affected by “religious

nationalism” among their respective citizens. Different ideologies can result to conflict within a

region that is the Middle Eastern countries having a sensitive Islam faith, surrounding Israel. The

latter finds refuge to a large country having the same political and religious ideology, and this

can be seen in the presence of the United States of America seeing Israel as a tight ally and

supporting it through its established principles.

The Pattern and Causes of Economic Growth in India

By Kaushik Basu and Anemie Maertens, 2007

World leaders have perceived India as one of the fastest growing economies by 2014.

This article has presented the broad parameters of the Indian economy’s growth since its

independence. Certain evaluations about where the country is positioned were also presented,

supported by a series of statistics. The components of the Indian growth which greatly rely on

technological services and the relative importance of different policies in the 1980s and 1990s


were also obtained. The country’s savings rate was also largely affected by the growth and

development it has attained for the recent years. On the other hand, the nature of their labor

market was evaluated by analysts as effective due to its large rate.

The country was perceived as a large basket of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) due

to the economy’s high dependence in Wal-Mart. Observers also perceived that a large possibility

of an economic breakdown is possible, due to the principle of non-permanency of these MNCs

within the country, especially if the latter has faced low demands from the people for their

services. The emigration of its population is in connection with the series of diasporas presented

in the previous research. These series of migration can result into the establishment of Indian

domination in each of their host States, especially in the latter’s work force. The pattern of their

economic growth has been cyclic, since the outpour of their local citizens into other States brings

back an increase in the national income of the country.

The inclination of this journal to the conducted study is present, especially its allocated

focus centering on the emergence of India as an economically developed State which may

surpassed the economic capabilities of the United States of America and other economically

stable countries.

DISCUSSION

Throughout history, the primary strategy to acquire power geopolitically is through the

idea of conquest. Competing over territories served to be the grounds of each state in making

decisions regarding the invasion and intervention upon other states. For the past recent years,

Geopolitics is back and in a big way. In this revival of the use of the field of geopolitics, it was

accompanied by a series of rapid changes in the world system which was brought about by the

phenomenon of Globalization. The latter had changed the phase of speed, reaching and covering

the borders of states, thus, providing an avenue for the deeper connection of their respective

groups of people. Due to this amplified connection, states began to ask if where it now fits itself

in the world system, and of how other states perceive this current position of the country in the

map. In this course of changes and diversions, the physical geographical location of a state is not


enough to articulate whether a country is internationally active, centered, or destabilized. Today,

the most important thing to consider is the geopolitical imagination of a state.

Israel’s Contrasting Geopolitical Imaginations

One of the countries that receive more media attention than anywhere else in the world is

the country of Israel. It has been perceived to be lying at the center of the globe; hence, its

internal conflicts receive more media attention. There have been reports and studies about a

possible war within the region of the Middle East. This is due to the anti-Zionist values of its

neighboring Muslim countries causing conflict and unrest in the region. The hatred was further

amplified due to Israel’s independence and occupation of certain territories that were formerly

owned by its neighboring Muslim countries. There has even been an independent perception of

the country of Iran which believes that Israel must be “wiped-off” the map. This conflict was

further exacerbated by the internal Palestinians residing just within its borders, being

Figure 2: Map of Israel Showing the Occupied Palestinian and Syrian Territories

inclined with the belief of the neighboring

countries, which has a stance that the Israelis

do have a different type of prevailing culture

and religion. The latter, in the Muslim

countries’ perception, must be eradicated

within the Middle Eastern map to counteract

the country’s sphere of influence within the

region. Last November 2012, there was a

resumption in the conflict between the

Israelis and Palestinians, though condemned

by the international community, the attacks

made by Israel against the Palestinian people

in the Gaza Strip seemed to be justified by

the U.S’ backing, which is a superpower. On

the other hand, the country of Iran seeing that


Source: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2004.the Palestinians are being restricted to their right of self-determination, had decided to extend its

financial and political aid to the Hamas group, considering them as a political nation which was

conversely perceived by Israel and the United States as a terrorist group. These different ideas

had greatly affected the foreign policy of each state, thus, affecting its people. Through these

struggles of the Israelis, the United States of America has always been present in supporting the

country against its mortal enemies. There has been an exchange of arms, political ideas, aid, and

investments between the two countries to secure the dominant State’s influence over Israel,

seeing that the latter possesses a huge sphere of influence within the region. Due to this

occurrence, the country had been labeled as the “Fifty First State” of the U.S. Israel was the 24 th

largest exporter, as well as the 23rd largest importer of the U.S. in 2011. Israel’s top export

categories were precious stones (diamonds), electrical machinery, and medical instruments.

American foreign direct investments in the country primarily concentrate in the manufacturing

sector. In view of this, U.S. goods experience a trade deficit with Israel amounting to about $9.1

billion in 2011, a 6.4% decrease from $617 billion over 2010 (U.S. Trade Representative, 2013).

Figure 3: Bilateral Trade between U.S. and

Israel


Source: Israel Export Institute

Figure 4: U.S. Trade Deficit with Israel

Source: Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy

Another geopolitical imagination of Israel is its perceived position of being an extension of

Europe, which was brought about by the disorientation of the Israelis in the Middle Eastern

region. At the edge of the Mediterranean, culture, religion, and tradition meet, hence, opening a

connection between the peoples of these two regions.

Figure 5: Israel and Part of Europe at the Edge of the Mediterranean Sea


Source: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

However, what hinders this geopolitical imagination of Israel is the negative reaction of the

Europeans towards them. Throughout history, the treatment of the European populace towards

the Israelis has been discriminatory. One example of which can be seen in historical records, that

is the ethnic cleansing of the Jews by the Germans, which saw themselves as the Aryans or the

supreme race. However, despite these reactions, the Israelis would still choose to strengthen their

European connections through sports and tradition rather than establishing a bridge between its

Middle Eastern neighbors (Newman, 1998). In this situation, it can be seen that the orientation of

a state’s citizens, as according to the study conducted by Gokmen, seems to be more important

than its local and physical regional location, thus, affecting its relations with other states.

Geopolitical Possibilities: India, the Next Economic Superpower?

Today, the context of multi-polarity among the powers of states can be seen. In recent

history, it has only been the United States which acquired the position as the only economic

superpower, but, in this fast changing world system, this position can be seen in different states

having a consistent development upon its capabilities. A best example would be the country of


India. World leaders have perceived this country as one of the world’s fastest growing economy

by 2014. This is due to its large work force, wherein it is also perceived that 25% of the world’s

new workers will be Indian in the same identified year. From 2007 and presumably by 2020, the

GDP per capita of the country had quadrupled.

Figure 6: India’s GDP Growth

Source: CEIC, EFIC

Table 1: Structure of Indian GDP

Source: Ministry of Finance, India

This is brought about by the country’s advancements in technology, specifically in its technology

capital Bangalore which now has more Grade-A offices compared to Singapore. It is also

considered as the world’s largest importer of arms (Lubin, 2011). On the category of importing

precious metals, India is considered to be the largest importer of gold and silver. The Minerals

and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), a government-owned company, is the country’s

largest importer of gold which is also dealing with agro-commodities and in the production of

fertilizers. On the other hand, in view of the country’s large import rate in gold, India’s Finance

Minister Pranab Mukherjee articulated that the 50% increase in imports of gold and other

precious metals has been one of the proximate causes of the current account deficit. Therefore,


the government revealed in its 2012-2013 budget that the country will increase its import duty

and taxes in gold (Badkar, 2012). It can be perceived that the future demand of the country’s

citizens for gold will decrease and it now seems that China is more likely to take over India’s

position as the world’s biggest gold market.

Figure 7: India’s Stock Index Has Outperformed Chinese and U.S. Markets

Source: Bloomberg, U.S. Global Research

From an economic improvement recorded by India’s stock market Bombay Exchange

Sensitive Index (SENSEX) which surpassed Chinese and American markets, the country also

faced severe economic downfalls and a possible political collapse last 2011 which led the

government into a huge economic decision to finally open its retail sector to global behemoths

like Wal-Mart and Ikea last September 2012 (Harris, 2012). Wal-Mart is an American

multinational retail company that centers on chains of department stores and warehouse stores

that offers low prices. This corporation led to the inflow of multiple foreign direct investments

(FDI) opportunities into the country, thus, creating more employed citizens. However, according

to Pravakar Sahoo, an Associate Professor at the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), the

government’s politically sensitive decision to allow FDI from foreign corporations sparked


commotion among the right-wing political parties and left-wing Communist parties, due to the

inappropriate timing of the decision especially that the opposition is challenging the

administration over the issues of corruption, continuous high prices, “black” money, and lack of

policy formulation on important reforms. He also mentioned about the initial impact of multi-

brand retailers entering the country’s market which is expected to have a negative impact on

about 12 million unorganized shops, as they lack the capability to challenge prominent retailers

in terms of variety, quality, and other factors (Luthra, 2012). The government also seems to be

automatically turning its head on Wal-Mart in times of deficiencies in supplies, thus, forgetting

to find alternatives. According to critics, “poverty” is the main contribution of Wal-Mart

wherever it operates, just like in India. The Indian economy is partly relying on Wal-Mart’s

presence, however, one can articulate that a possible downfall of this market’s demand from the

people might cause a reciprocating impact towards the Indian market, thus, hampering its

growth.

This country has also made steps to establish an influence in the Indo-Pacific region, and

one of which is the reaffirmation of its relationship with other economically stable countries in

the region. Last October 17, 2012, the Prime Ministers of India and Australia had a meeting after

the latter’s state visit, wherein they have discussed matters regarding Nuclear Energy and

Regional Cooperation, this has also resulted into the resumption of Australia’s sales of uranium

to India. As a result of the intensified cooperation between these two key Indo-Pacific states,

countries from the West, particularly the U.S. has perceived this as a threat to its hegemony,

therefore, it has also execute steps to contain India’s influence over the region (Stratfor, 2012).

CONCLUSION

The revival of political geography brought forward the revival of geopolitics. This

utilization of geopolitics is more of a practice and perceptions among states, which can be seen


through their geopolitical imagination, which was formally defined by John Agnew. In history,

competition over territory has been the basis of geopolitical power. But, due to the rapid changes

brought about by globalization and improved technology, the trend for geopolitical power has

also changed. The foreign policy of a state is not only defined by its physical geographical

location, but, also it is more defined by its own perception of itself on its position in the current

world system. The notion of “modern maps” is now in used, every state has currently preferred

maps wherein they are the center of the plot and the other states are defined on how they see or

assessed each other. This assessment or perceptions are bounded within categories where a state

feels oriented that makes it a part of a certain group or region which is originally not its real

faction; categories of identical culture, religion, politics, and economy. The notion of geopolitical

imagination as a concept of geopolitics is important in studying international relations. The

perceived assumptions of states upon themselves and to other countries define their foreign

policies. These perceptions are not permanent and these can change over the course of events

especially that it is bounded under the principle of globalization; therefore, the current

assumptions of states towards Israel and India, as well as their own perceptions headed for

themselves may still change and vary.


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Documents

Understanding Geopolitical Imagination