rld War II has been dismal, at best. The Cold War, and its apex, the Cuban Missile Crisis gave the U.S. opportunities to use this Article for advancing its "democratic" principles versus the socialist aims of the then-USSR. Perhaps the first question of territorial rights began with the Berlin Airlift, where Berlin, an island within the Communist-controlled East Germany, became a terminus for constant supply planes from the West, supplying the beleaguered city.
It is important to note that the UN does not forbid or censure the use of arms in self-defense. But, sometimes this is a highly politically-motivated situation, as in the Balkans and, certainly South Vietnam. Yet, because of the possibility of a veto by one of the great powers in the UN Security Council, the first and only truly successful UN use of force (until Kosovo) was in South Korea in 1950. But, perhaps the reason the UN was unified was that mainland China did not become a member nation yet, and Russia boycotted the Security Council" (210).
The many wars, not to mention incidents of genocide, in various African states seem to be ignored by the UN, in terms of any sort of intervention. The disastrous attempt by the US to intervene in Somalia (graphically depicted in the film "Black Hawk Down") is stark proof that, unless there is a truly concerted international effort to halt hostilities, only disaster and an enormous loss of life ensues. Why does the UN not get involved (other than its Health arm) in Africa's genocidal wars? Because, they seem to be considered internal matters, tribal and territorial disputes and traditional hatred within the borders of one nation, and therefore, some rationalize, not open to UN intervention.
There is one area which needs further exploration and development, perhaps intervention and oversight, by an international body: the environment. But, despite warnings about that hole in our atmosphere, the dire complaints abou...