ABSTRACT
This chapter examines different types of international conflict and competition; possible explanations for why they exist; and possible ways in which they might live with international conflict and competition without making them worse, while they are trying to produce cures which may or may not work. They differ primarily in two ways: the size, scale, and duration of the conflict; and what people say the competition associated with the conflict is about. International conflict refers to situations in which one or more sets of peoples are threatening or using violence to get what they want from other peoples. International competition refers to situations where for one or more peoples to gain what they want, other peoples have to lose what they want. The long-running dispute over the Falklands-Malvinas illustrates the difficulties involved in asking states and their governments why they engage in international competition and conflict.
