The fastest gunfighter survives and prevails. In other words, every state must rely on its own resources to safeguard its own interests and survival. Gunfight at the OK Corral. To view the video, you need RealPlayer . If you have not yet downloaded RealPlayer , it is available free of charge.
Law does exist at the international level and it is called international law.
Just imagine what would happen on an inter-state highway if there were speed limits but no police force to enforce the law. Many people would ignore the speed limit, and highways might become quite dangerous. As you can see in Table 1 below, the absence of central government makes international politics differ substantially from domestic politics in terms of power distribution, the legitimate use of force, law making and law enforcement mechanisms, and sense of community. In addition, you should remember two aspects about the anarchic nature of international politics. First, anarchy is not the same as chaos or instability.