Diplomatic Risk Just Isn't Real Life

Diplomatic Risk is similar to real world politics in that it is modeled, at least more accurately than regular Risk, after world politics. It takes into account the fact that each country has a goal for international relations, be it maintaining and spreading peace, expansion, global dominance, etc. It also deals with two theaters of politics: military and diplomacy. Whereas regular Risk is based upon realist ideals and sets the end goal as global domination, Diplomatic Risk entertains the idea that there are different tactics and approaches to global politics, which is much like world politics in actuality. If I were a realist, I would argue that Risk is very similar to world politics, and it at least embodies the main theme of international relations. However, I am not a realist and thus I find that neither Risk, nor Diplomatic Risk resemble world politics too closely.

That being said, there are a lot of discrepancies between Diplomatic Risk and the real world. For one, there is no over arching power enforcing rules (PTJ). Allies can attack allies (ex. Germany’s attack on Russia in WWII), there is no order of play (countries act simultaneously), and many chiefs of state cannot be replaced as swiftly as allowed in Diplomatic Risk (U.S. president is elected every four years, dictators usually rule until their death). In Diplomatic Risk countries are working towards short term goals. A team’s goal may be to take control of certain countries, or regions of the world or their goal may be to encourage the formation of allies, or the destruction of allies. Another severe discrepancy from actuality, is a team’s special power. In real world politics, countries may have tricks up their sleeves (i.e. nuclear weapons, plans for sneak attacks, etc.) but there is no real way to ensure that at any given time a country can spring a super power out on the world, without being combated or defeated.

Though Diplomatic Risk is an example of world politics and is a way for our class to experiment with international relations, the boundaries and parameters of the game are far from realistic.