Modern warfare is far different from the noble pursuits of medieval times. And far grittier and more damaging that is even depicted in the most graphic of media. Why? Because of the hidden cost: battlefields riven by weaponry designed to kill human beings on large scales as well as obliterate crops, cities and their greenery, pastures and other places. And especially children at home who lose parents to death, addiction, trauma conditions, and such. Pope Francis alluded to this in his UN address on his 2015 trip to the US:
257. Since conditions that favor the outbreak of wars are once again increasing, I can only reiterate that “war is the negation of all rights and a dramatic assault on the environment. If we want true integral human development for all, we must work tirelessly to avoid war between nations and peoples. To this end, there is a need to ensure the uncontested rule of law and tireless recourse to negotiation, mediation and arbitration, as proposed by the Charter of the United Nations, which constitutes truly a fundamental juridical norm”. [Address to the Members of the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York (25 September 2015): AAS 107 (2015), 1041-1042]
More on the UN:
The seventy-five years since the establishment of the United Nations and the experience of the first twenty years of this millennium have shown that the full application of international norms proves truly effective, and that failure to comply with them is detrimental. The Charter of the United Nations, when observed and applied with transparency and sincerity, is an obligatory reference point of justice and a channel of peace. Here there can be no room for disguising false intentions or placing the partisan interests of one country or group above the global common good.
This is a difficult task in any age. The 1% have always gamed the system to their advantage. Rare is it that smaller nations, impoverished people, and the oppressed have risen up to take chunks of that advantage for themselves. And when there is a hint that they would, the aristocracy can manipulate to make sure the 99% battle themselves rather than real adversaries.
If rules are considered simply as means to be used whenever it proves advantageous, and to be ignored when it is not, uncontrollable forces are unleashed that cause grave harm to societies, to the poor and vulnerable, to fraternal relations, to the environment and to cultural treasures, with irretrievable losses for the global community.
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