Syria’s 4th anniversary of horrors: Or, ‘How’s that International Law thing working out?’

Syria’s fourth consecutive year of horrors (An Anniversary of horrors, 3-17-15, Washington Post editorial) should convince anyone who still believes that international law can effectively stop or prevent mass murder (or prolonged wars) to wake up to reality.

Almost without exception, history and current events prove that the United Nations, even when working with the most powerful nation, cannot effectively address the growing threats humanity faces from WMD proliferation, climate change, war, terrorism, or pandemics.

It took the tyranny of King George to convince our nation’s original 13 ‘independent’ states to transform a weak confederation into a more capable federation.   The UN needs such a transformation today.   The grand flaw in the UN design mirrors that of our colonies before 1776.   State’s rights were superior to human rights.   It took a bloody civil war and civil rights movement to correct on important flaw in our nation’s application of this first principle, but it doesn’t have to be that way worldwide.

Us or our children will not see an end to war or any of these threats with a system of unenforceable laws that consistently fortify states’ rights over human rights.  

“We the people” referred to in the UN Charter deserve more than lip service.  Our freedoms and security should not be left to the whims of any government interest or global governance system that holds human rights as an afterthought.   I believe our nation’s Founding Fathers would agree.