Very interesting point by Professor Hasegawa, and an accurate reflection on the laws of human nature and how they relate to autocrats clinging to power and their reluctance to relinquish power. We have seen over and over again, including in recent years, the prevalence of coups including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Myanmar, prompting the Secretary-General to warn against the « epidemic of coups », but the question remains — how to stop these unlawful seizure of power and how to force leaders to adhere to free and fair elections. The issue remains that with current divisions in the P5 at all time high, and divergent national interests, the international community has limited tools to apply the pressure needed to stop such leaders. We may have all the tools — diplomatic pressure, condemnations, sanctions, threats of resorting to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter on use of force etc – but without political will and convergence of great powers interests, autocrats will too often continue to reject free and fair elections. Or as French philosopher Blaise Pascal said « La justice sans la force est impuissante, la force sans la justice est tyrannique. » “Justice without strength is powerless, strength without justice is tyrannical.”
Very interesting point by Professor Hasegawa, and an accurate reflection on the laws of human nature and how they relate to autocrats clinging to power and their reluctance to relinquish power. We have seen over and over again, including in recent years, the prevalence of coups including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Myanmar, prompting the Secretary-General to warn against the « epidemic of coups », but the question remains — how to stop these unlawful seizure of power and how to force leaders to adhere to free and fair elections. The issue remains that with current divisions in the P5 at all time high, and divergent national interests, the international community has limited tools to apply the pressure needed to stop such leaders. We may have all the tools — diplomatic pressure, condemnations, sanctions, threats of resorting to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter on use of force etc – but without political will and convergence of great powers interests, autocrats will too often continue to reject free and fair elections. Or as French philosopher Blaise Pascal said « La justice sans la force est impuissante, la force sans la justice est tyrannique. » “Justice without strength is powerless, strength without justice is tyrannical.”