Game of Thrones- A Theoretical Perspective re-blogged

On Facebook, Abeer had shared a link, captioned 'worth a read'. The link was titled as Game of Thrones as Theory, on Foreign Affairs journal online. I haven't seen or read Game of Thrones. Uday is a big fan of these books. Although I haven't watched it completely, my TV shows folder contains the first and second season of the series. I guess Swaroop had given me the e-book version of A Song of Ice and Fire, not sure. I possess a basic understanding of the theme of Game of Thrones, thanks to the above mentioned sources. Moreover, understanding Game of Thrones from a theoretical perspective of International Relations is quite an exciting experience. Everybody knows the story is about the race for power, ruthless strategies, action, sexual debauchery, gender conflict and what not. In a nutshell the chaotic world of ours is replicated elsewhere pushed way back in time, only to further the excesses. As it seems, the series is an example of Realpolitik. A fictional ghetto where might summons the right. It is a non-apologetic verbal and graphic description of domestic and foreign politics. As it has always dawned upon humanity, idealism remains the mirage of naive. The article, though, takes a different position. Charli Carpenter depicts Game of Thrones as a process-cum-consequence of realpolitik than a mere process in which realpolitik unravels itself. The chaos, violence and debauchery do not make up unbridled power but are results of immoral politics. Sheer disregard for norms and judgments of common moral convictions bring about the fall of dynasties, kings and populace. The societal press for respecting values and ethics are aimed at a common good, to which both ruler and the ruled are subjected. The power-intoxicated notion that a king can do as he wishes is immoral and ineffective in the longer run. Let us remind ourselves, pragmatism and effectiveness are integral ideas of realpolitik, a disbelief in inherent human goodness. The more we adopt 'pragmatic' stance and let go off moral values, higher the chances of distrust brewing up in between king-people, people-people and kings-kings, ensuring high instability, to the degree of quantum mechanics. It is such an approach and consequences, Game of Thrones present to the reader and viewer, definitely not an endorsement. The distrust between varying competitors for scarce resources set off the chain of violent events often avoidable. As one of those Plato-quotes suggests a little bit belief doesn't hurt. Thus, I read the article.