Who Writes The Rules Of War

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As the world stands on the brink of World War III, a fundamental question must be asked: Who is the real threat to humanity?
For generations, global powers have told us who to fear. They point to rogue nations, radical movements, or the nuclear ambitions of unstable regimes.
Yet history reveals a far more unsettling truth. The greatest destruction has often come not from the periphery, but from the very centre of global dominance.
On Aug 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima (above) was annihilated. Three days later, Nagasaki suffered the same fate. Two atomic bombs. Two cities reduced to ash. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, including children and mothers, were vaporised.
America called it necessary. But Japan had already shown signs of surrender. The war was nearing its end. So why were the bombs used?
Not to end a war, but to send a message. A warning to the rest of the world about who would shape the future.
That message has echoed through the decades.
An enduring message
In Vietnam, from 1955 to 1975, napalm fell from the sky. Entire villages burned. Children ran screaming, their skin melting from their bodies. More than three million lives were lost.
The Vietnam War from 1955-1975The justification was the fear of communism. The result was terror inflicted on civilians in the name of ideology.
In 1953, a democratically elected government in Iran was overthrown. Its only crime was attempting to control its own oil resources. A monarchy was installed. Democracy was erased. Iran was thrown into decades of unrest in the name of profit.
In Afghanistan, 20 years of invasion left the country in ruin. Millions died. Families were shattered. Infrastructure was destroyed.
Then, without justice or resolution, the occupiers walked away. The world was left with a broken nation and a vague apology. There was no mission accomplished. There was only silence.
In 2003, Iraq was invaded. The justification was the existence of weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were ever found. Saddam Hussein was hanged. The country was plunged into chaos.
In 2020, the truth came out. The intelligence was false. But by then, the damage was irreversible.
In 2011, the world watched another nation - Libya - collapse. Foreign powers declared Muammar Gaddafi a threat. They armed and supported rebels under the banner of freedom.
What unfolded was not liberation, but the dismantling of a state. Gaddafi was killed, not by his own people in a genuine uprising, but by forces empowered by foreign intervention.
Libya’s civil war in 2019Libya was reduced to chaos. Today, it remains fragmented and lawless, haunted by a revolution that was never truly its own.
Pattern continues
And now, in 2025, the pattern continues. Iran’s nuclear sites are under attack. The Strait of Hormuz is blocked. Oil tankers are stopped. Markets tremble. Once again, the justification is global security. But whose security is being protected? And who pays the price?
This is not about defending regimes. It is about recognising a pattern. When death is justified by fear, and destruction is cloaked in diplomacy, humanity pays the price.
If killing innocents and spreading terror is the definition of terrorism, then what were Hiroshima and Nagasaki? What was Vietnam? What are Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya?
If an individual commits these acts, he is called a terrorist. If a country does it, it is called a superpower.
We must ask, who has killed more, destroyed more, destabilised more?
History has recorded the answer. It is not written in ideology. It is written in corpses, in craters, and in silence. The nations that were invaded do not need to be reminded. They are still living with the consequences.
As another conflict threatens to unfold, the world must look past propaganda and into the mirror of history. The threat is not only from those who shout. It is those who have already acted, repeatedly, without accountability.
The aftermath of Israel’s strikes on IranIf we fail to name them, we allow them to do it again.
The world does not need more powerful nations. It needs more responsible ones.
The greatest danger to humanity is not the one who is feared, but the one who kills with impunity.
You decide. - Mkini
MAHATHIR MOHD RAIS is a former Federal Territories Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional secretary.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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