What is the primary focus of critical geopolitics?

The primary focus of critical geopolitics is to examine how geopolitical representations, ideas, and assumptions are constructed, contested, and used to legitimize power relations and foreign policy actions. Unlike traditional geopolitics, which often takes these representations as objective truths, critical geopolitics analyzes how they are produced and disseminated through various channels, such as media, academic discourse, popular culture, and government rhetoric. It questions whose interests are served by these representations and how they shape our understanding of the world. Critical geopolitics explores how geopolitical narratives are used to create a sense of 'us' versus 'them,' justifying military interventions, territorial claims, and other forms of political and economic domination. It examines how certain regions or countries are portrayed as 'threats' or 'rogue states' to justify particular foreign policy agendas. For example, the concept of the 'axis of evil' used by the Bush administration after 9/11 is a prime example of a geopolitical representation that served to legitimize military action in Iraq and other countries. Critical geopolitics also analyzes how geopolitical knowledge is produced and disseminated within academic institutions, think tanks, and policy circles. It questions the assumptions and biases that may be embedded in these analyses and how they influence policy decisions. It examines the role of experts and intellectuals in shaping public opinion and legitimizing particular foreign policy choices. Furthermore, critical geopolitics examines how individuals and social groups resist and challenge dominant geopolitical representations. It explores alternative narratives and perspectives that challenge the status quo and offer different ways of understanding the world. This includes examining the role of social movements, non-governmental organizations, and marginalized communities in contesting dominant geopolitical discourses. Ultimately, critical geopolitics seeks to denaturalize geopolitical representations and expose the power relations that underlie them. By understanding how these representations are constructed and used, we can develop a more critical and nuanced understanding of international relations and foreign policy.