A lengthy article in Foreign Policy by journalist Robert Kaplan discusses the impact of geography on world affairs and global politics. A quote from the article: "In the 18th and 19th centuries, before the arrival of political science as an academic specialty, geography was an honored, if not always formalized, discipline in which politics, culture, and economics were often conceived of in reference to the relief map." The article touches on such topics as the Mackinder's Heartland Theory, Environmental Determinism, and Geopolitics.
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This article was a nightmare of a read! His points, which seemed valid, are easy to disregard because of his presentation. His language was both stuffy and condescending. It was boring and any article I have to constantly re-read to grasp to find the point is not worth my time. I read articles like this in the hope that I can find fresh viewpoints that can be presented in a classroom setting. The author negates his own points, making them indecipherable amongst the unnecessary length and wordiness. It’s a real shame. After reading it 3 times… I actually got it.