[jaguar]

War is only one element, that is my point.

War endangers us tarring with a too wider brush. After all tehre are many levels of conflict. Secondly allot of the warfare these days is ethnonational stuff, gurrilas and terrorist stuff, not interstate conflict, thus is not the busienss of the UN, unless states are openly sponsering each side etc. Secondly UN authorisation has been an important part of many conflict, the first one that comes to mind is Korea - which was authrosied while Russia was boycotting the security council - the last time they tried that, and that resolution was used to ride a little roughshod over congress. It legitimies the conflict and gives other nation a forum for discussion about the possible conflict or attempts at resolution, military or otherwise. It can force nations to actually justify their actions, something the US is having great trouble doing because it cannot. I think the fact the US is looking seriously at getting Un approval is proof in itself. You cannot ignore the rest of the international community.