ABSTRACT
Ideology and institutions are inextricably linked in human society. Old ideologies purport to perpetuate existing institutions; new ideologies serve to change them. The struggle between peace and war revolves around institutions of power; only the possession of power makes it possible for the supporters of an ideology to realize its goals. World War II is a classic example of the priority gained by national motivation and the strategic interests it entails. The United States, Britain, and the USSR passed over their class-ideological differences to unite against the common enemy, Germany. After the war, as the revolutionary process extended into Eastern Europe, the United States and other Western powers countered with the containment policy, the Marshall Plan, the Truman doctrine, and so on. While the United Nations has the historical merit of helping the extension of the state system to all continents, it has proved inadequate as an institution designed to achieve peace and international security.
