The impact of leaders' credibility on the success of psychological media warfare : the case of Hassan Nasrallah's rhetoric during the July war, 2006

Abstract

The main focus of this thesis originates in the idealistic perspective of international affairs, emphasizing not just the states’ interactions but a diversity of domestic and transnational channels, organizations, and individuals. Idealism has held a unique conceptualization of international relations. Depending on the pillars of the global system, it’s interdependent and cooperative structure, and the integrative functionalism of international players. Hence, Idealism promoted the role of individualism, voluntarism and the leaders’ genuine role and impact throughout history, especially on the ontology of war and peace. Also, idealism promoted a dialectic relation among the individual represented mainly by the leaders’ figure and mutable international relations. The ontology of war inherently depends on leaders’ decision making cultural background, psychology, or emotional intelligence, reflected not just by their decisions but also by their charismatic figure, rhetoric propaganda and psychological warfare. The major purpose of international affairs emanates from an in-depth inquiry and analysis of security maintenance or the alleged peacemaking; this all international relations schools were authentically concerned by the substantial causes of war, clashes, and crises, in addition to the ongoing progress of the chronicles, and the aftermath and its repercussions on the global system. Leaders’ figures and credibility their ability to persuade and manipulate the masses, and their psychological media warfare are critical components or variables genuinely included within the otology of war and peace making and consequently international relations. As a result, the thesis statement of this paper will be the impact of leaders’ credibility on the success of their psychological media warfare within the international affairs context. This thesis statement subsequently answers the following: will an increase in leaders’ credibility lead to a more effective propaganda?. Moreover, is there any causality between leaders’ credibility and effective psychological media warfare? The progressive rationale of this thesis will prove causality between the credibility of the leader and the psychological media warfare. A case study of the impact of Hassan Nasrallah’s credibility on his psychological media warfare success during the 2006 war against Israel will be a reflection of the logic used within this study.