FOREIGN INFLUENCE, POLITICAL CONFLICTS AND CONFLICT-RESOLUTION IN THECARIBBEAN

This article focuses on the interconnection between international fact ors and domestic political conflicts in the Third World context, with specific reference to Caribbean countries. Theories suggesting either no correlation or a direct linear linkage between international and do mestic conflicts are criticized. It is posited that (a) the linkage be tween international pressures and domestic political conflicts is usua lly mediated by domestic class forces, particularly the contentious ro le of the middle classes, which invariably control Caribbean states, ( b) these middle-class controlled states usually display a preference f or the more authoritarian approaches to conflict resolution; (c) state s subjected to the most destabilizing international pressures, such as the ideologically deviant (or pro-socialist) states, tend to display the more intensive levels of both political conflicts and repressive f orce; and (d) these conflict patterns harbour largely negative implica tions for democratic developments in the region. It is suggested, furt her, that approaches to conflict resolution should involve institution alized changes which foster the more direct, democratic inclusion of t he subordinate classes in the political decision-working process. Supp ortive data and evidence are drawn from periodical news reports and ot her documentary archival sources pertaining to the English-speaking Ca ribbean during the post-colonial period.