Why can’t every country get along with each other? It comes down to resources, inequality and perception
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Kaleb Demerew, West Texas A&M University; Institute for Humane Studies
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Why can’t every country get along with each other? – Dale T., age 11, Helena, Montana
Countries often share similar goals, such as peace and prosperity for their citizens, so it might seem strange that they find it hard to get along. Cultural differences may sometimes cause countries such as China and the United States to compete for global influence, but even countries sharing similar values or cultures still find reasons to clash.
So why do countries compete or even go to war? As a political science scholar researching some of the most conflict-prone regions in the world, I find that the answer often comes down to three factors: scarcity, uneven distribution and perception.
Scarcity leads to hard choices