Maritime order vs continental anarchy

Western democracies are embedded in a mercantile, maritime order whose norms (openness, legalism, familiar institutions) shape what their publics perceive as important. States and media interpret conflicts involving actors that look like them (e.g., Israel) through that lens, making continental, internal violence (e.g., Iran–Iraq, Algeria, Yemen) less visible despite larger death tolls. — Reframing region-level risk through the 'maritime vs continental' lens helps explain why some conflicts get outsized attention and suggests different policy and humanitarian priorities.