That's how it is and always has been. It's just that with the global nature of today's economy, money, sanctions, propaganda and proxies are first used to apply pressure and if all else fails, a military intervention.
Afghanistan didn't comply with US, it got invaded. Libya complied and gave up nukes, look what Gaddafi got in return. Ukraine gave up nukes and didn't comply with Russia, it got invaded. India acts against China, they are beaten so badly that they are afraid to even utter China's name officially. All South Asian countries including Bangladesh with its strong economy are essentially Indian puppet states, except Pakistan because of its strong military.
I understand the reality and the geopolitics. But the greater danger is that...
If we allow the legitimization of the John Mearsheimer school of great power geopolitics, great powers
WILL NOT need any other justifications, no matter how specious, to intimidate, threaten, and even invade neighbors based solely upon the vague 'national security' reason. Take a look at why Russia invaded Ukraine:
Resurgence of neo Nazism,
Ethnic abuse of Russians,
Possible NATO membership,
Potential nuclear weapons hosting from NATO,
That Ukraine is not a 'real' country.
Those are the five
PRIMARY reasons. Each of them is already weak on its own. Who knows if there are secondary reasons. The ulterior motive of resurrecting the former Soviet bloc, if not in name, is not listed, but we all believe that is the real reason because we believe the primary reasons are weak.
If we examine every invasion in history, we will find reasons, some
ARE legitimate such as D-Day or when ECOWAS invaded to intervene in civil wars to prevent further regional disorder and humanitarian crisis, some are not legitimate like how Kuwait was 'stealing' Iraqi oil via the lateral drilling method and that Kuwait was an actual Iraqi province of old. Speaking as a cynic, at least there were/are attempts of facade of legitimate reasons or covers to do something immoral. But if we accept the Mearsheimer path as
prima facie reason, great powers will not even try to find covers and smaller states will suffer for it.
