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PaperclipPerfector  20d ago (text post)   31999 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 10, 2025

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The International Rules Based Order was always fiction. It was code for “the West has several times as many soldiers, rockets, tanks, and navy vessels than you, and can kick your ass just by thinking about it. What’s changed generally is the global perception of that military might.

I'd push back slightly on this, because the IRBO/LIO was very much in force even during the Cold War, when the West absolutely didn't have total military dominance. The IRBO/LIO was more of a memetic package than a hegemonic post-WW2 settlement, and it was a pitch to to the developing world and even to a lesser extent the Communist bloc. Though its ideals very much came out of Anglo liberal ideals (e.g., rights of small countries), it was an appealing package for many countries around the world: strong norms against annexation and invasion, disputes to be settled in multilateral fora, freedom of navigation, and a suite of economic institutions like the IWT and World Bank. In an era of ideological competition with Communism, the IRBO was an important part of the West's brand.

The legitimacy of the IRBO/LIO was fatally undermined by the Kosovo War. What was left of it was then further undermined by the Libyan War. This damage cannot be undone at this point.

The rules-based international order was codified in the UN Charter and both sides broke it without consequence during the Cold War. I suppose it was in force inasmuch as you could accuse the other side credibly of breaking it, but it wasn't in force in the sense that it was respected in practice.

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