[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Politics of Citizens <5>

Editor's NoteWar is organized violence carried out by a state or military organization. After the Cold War era ended, a period of peace arrived worldwide. Although armed conflicts and civil wars have continued in some regions, major countries have not been directly exposed to war. However, as the hegemony of the United States begins to weaken, the world order is shaking. The Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war are representative examples. War is no longer a matter unrelated to us. Word count: 1109 characters.

German military theorist Carl von Clausewitz's On War is regarded as the greatest classic in the field of war studies. The most famous phrase from this book is "War is merely the continuation of politics by other means." This means that war cannot be without political objectives, and military goals are determined according to political purposes. Ultimately, it reflects the perspective that war is not conducted entirely independently by soldiers. Clausewitz explains war through three elements: passion, chance, and reason. Passion refers to the hatred that drives killing in war; chance refers to contingencies such as weather and military operations; reason refers to the rationality arising from the strategies of political leaders and commanders. These are considered to have the greatest influence on the occurrence and conduct of politics.

Humanitarian intervention in international politics has always been a subject of debate. It refers to the international community's use of force to protect human rights when brutal situations such as genocide or civilian abuse occur within a country. Previously, sovereignty, non-interference, and prohibition of the use of force were principles, but perceptions changed after experiencing the Holocaust during World War II. Advocates emphasize respect for human rights under the United Nations (UN) Charter and moral obligations as human beings. In line with this trend, military intervention through Security Council resolutions has become an international norm. A representative case is the deployment of a multinational force to Somalia from December 5, 1992, to May 4, 1993, under UN Security Council Resolution 794, conducting operations and maintaining security. Although it succeeded in stopping human rights violations, it failed to build long-term peace.

Opponents criticize that humanitarian intervention is likely based on the logic of powerful countries and can be abused or selectively used for self-interest. In fact, in July 1994, France intervened late in the Rwanda genocide. The Rwanda genocide was an event where the Hutu massacred approximately 800,000 Tutsi. At that time, France had supported Hutu rule and feared Rwanda joining the English-speaking bloc. Because of this, they calculated their national interests and stood by for about 100 days while people were dying in Rwanda. Their national interests were prioritized over universal human rights, and humanitarian aid was not provided at the appropriate time, resulting in a tragic outcome.

－Im Chun-han, The Politics of Citizens, Pakyoungsa, 23,000 KRW