Environmental Threats and Resources Constraints: their Reflection in Ideology and in Politics

Abstract

Why has the conflict of geopolitical interests in today’s global world become so acute? One of the main, but not quite and not for all obvious reasons is the extreme inequality of the conditions for socio-economic development, especially due to natural constraints. In the twentieth century, anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment began to go beyond acceptable natural limits. This gives new impetus to the Western powers’ desire for external expansion and domination – especially in view of their concern for their future in the face of the striking contrast between the high development level of some countries and the poverty of the majority of the population in others. After the Second World War, the desire for world domination became the main motive in the policy of the ruling circles of the United States. The purpose of the article is to show in detail how the conflict of interests in the conditions of limited natural resources of the planet is reflected in ideology, in international relations and in world politics.