Al Jazeera Opinion Piece Calls for New Term to Describe Harmful Superpowers

An opinion piece published by Al Jazeera on September 17 argues that the vocabulary of international relations is incomplete, noting that terms exist to describe weak or failing states but that no equivalent term exists for powerful states, or superpowers, whose actions cause harm on a global scale.

According to the piece, terms such as "failed state" or "rogue state" have long been applied to smaller or weaker nations viewed as unstable or dangerous. The author contends that this framing leaves a gap in the language used to analyze international relations, since it does not account for major powers whose policies or actions may have damaging global consequences.

The article calls for what it describes as a new "grammar" of international relations, suggesting that a term is needed to identify what the author refers to as "pernicious states" — powerful actors whose conduct produces widespread negative effects beyond their own borders.

The piece frames this as a conceptual and linguistic gap in how global power is discussed and analyzed, rather than presenting empirical data or citing specific case studies in the excerpt available. The full article, published as an opinion piece, reflects the views of its author and does not represent independent reporting or verified claims by Al Jazeera as a news organization.