Friede, Freude, Pancakes? The concept of war and what is lost within the NATO alliance

Abstract

This article dives into the ambiguity of language and seeks to examine how it impacts upon alliance politics within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), specifically looking at the perceptions and roles of two members of the NATO alliance: Canada and Germany. To accomplish this end, the article will approach the matter through the comparative framework of discourse analysis and, more broadly, a look at communications theory. Next, a case study of Canada’s and Germany’s policies in Afghanistan during the last decade will demonstrate how language has been used in both countries to frame the concept of war. The article shows that, based on various approaches to language and messaging, the use of the term “war” has different meanings for Canada and Germany. Utilizing four distinct avenues of approach in terms of matter, appeal, self-revelation and relationships, this article presents an innovative way to assess how culture impacts international politics at state and organizational levels. Finally, the article makes the case for improved training and education policy within the NATO alliance, addressing increased awareness for cultural aspects of security concepts.