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Comment by bloppe | Hacker News Reader

This is the attitude that permits world wars. In the aftermath of WW2, a lot of people genuinely believed in the power of international law to prevent WW3. Now, it seems like a ton of people think that's just BS, and the fact that so many people think that is what makes it BS. If a strong majority of people actually believed in international law, it would be "real".

I guess sometimes you just need WW3.

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"It's in your nature to destroy yourselves"

The people who actually experienced (either directly fighting in, or living through it) have already died or are rapidly dying out.

We have no concept of just how horrifying a world war would be.

I do. I've visited countries that were at war and I have my grandmothers diaries.

Everybody that is cheering this on has a significant gap in their education.

> Everybody that is cheering this on has a significant gap in their education.

Macron, President of the French Republic, for reference, says:

"The Venezuelan people are today liberated from the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro and cannot but celebrate it.

By seizing power and trampling on fundamental freedoms, Nicolás Maduro has committed a grave affront against the dignity of his own people.

The transition that is now opening must be peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people. We hope that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, can ensure this transition as soon as possible."

--- https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/2007525843401154891

1951. And just as powerful today.

> > If a strong majority of people actually believed in international law, it would be "real".

International law has always been BS, what works is fear of retribution by the offended party or retribution from the observers thinking they might be next and getting together to enact preventive measures

If international law had any effect people would believe in it. You're mixing cause/effect. This situation has been going on for years and the lack of response by international organizations makes people lose all confidence in them.

It's the same with money: if people believe in it it works, if they stop believing in it it stops working.

So there is no cause and no effect, it is something mutually reinforcing.

It is not an attitude. It is a statement of fact.

"International law" are voluntary agreements but countries remain sovereign. The only way to force something is to have bigger guns and/or more economic power than the other countries and, as it happens, the US are #1 on both.

Edit: The best protection we have against WWIII is not "international law", it's that the big guys can instantly nuke each others.

I don't think you're wrong, but it's one of those facts that's basically a self-fulfilling prophecy, like "the bank is failing" (which, if people think is true, quickly becomes true) or "money has value".

The US is a superpower of course, but world wars are multilateral, and US alliances are not what they were just a year ago.

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