Does the U.N. ever actually go to war?

Yes. In fact, it's waging one right now.

UN soldiers, 1951
(Image credit: AP Photo)

According to the international community's obscure, often-ignored rules of war, countries are — broadly — only supposed to attack one another in self-defense, when they themselves have come under attack. Any other threat or use of force requires the approval of the United Nations Security Council.

In reality, of course, that idea is almost laughable. Few countries bother getting U.N. approval before they start launching missiles or firing bullets, and President Obama has made it clear that he's willing to bypass the U.N. when it comes to the conflict of the moment, in Syria. After all, securing a U.N. resolution for military action requires a unanimous vote from veto-wielding members on the Council, or for those countries to at least abstain if they disapprove. And how often are rival powerhouses like America, Russia, and China ever going to be in harmony when it comes to war?

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Frances Weaver is a senior editor at The Week magazine. Originally from the U.K., she has written for the Daily Telegraph, The Spectator and Standpoint magazine.