5 - The Strategic Use of Emotions, II

Summary

Introduction

The previous chapter addressed the structure of the “games” set up by Western interveners. Although these games take different forms, they rest on some common assumptions about actors, preferences, and strategies. First, there should be a stable set of recognized players. Second, these players should put interests, in the form of material and political gains, before revenge or forms of identity politics. Third, the contestants in this game should choose only among a limited range of strategies determined by the intervener.

Opponents of intervention games believe that they can strategically use emotions to alter each of these three fundamental game elements. This chapter will address how opponents use emotions as resources to alter (1) preferences, (2) actors, and (3) strategies. In a fourth section, the chapter will discuss how the distribution of emotions can also serve as a constraint on action as well as a resource.