The West's Impulsive Leaders Are Fueling Endless Wars and Civilian Suffering with Stuart Maslen

In this episode of The BoricuaBC2 Show, Bill Cancel sits down with international law expert Stuart Maslen to unpack the realities of modern conflict, global instability, and the legal frameworks governing war. Against the backdrop of escalating tensions involving Iran, ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and beyond, the conversation explores whether today’s geopolitical chaos is unprecedented or part of a recurring historical pattern.  Stuart Maslen is a leading international law expert specializing in armed conflict, disarmament, and the protection of civilians. He is an honorary professor at the University of Pretoria and has worked extensively with global institutions on humanitarian law and weapons regulation. His research focuses on the legality of force, arms control, and the frameworks governing warfare, and he has authored multiple influential books on disarmament and international law.   Expect to Learn: Why today’s global conflicts may not be worse than the past but feel more chaotic How impulsive political decision-making impacts war outcomes and global stability The role (and failure) of international institutions like the UN Security Council Why civilians always bear the greatest cost of war and delayed decisions The importance of paying attention to underreported conflicts happening worldwide Episode Breakdown with Timestamps: [00:00] - Introduction to Stuart Maslen & international law background [02:13] - Are today’s conflicts the worst? [03:08] - What drives genocide? [04:06] - Failure to learn from history [05:09] - Control vs. chaos in conflicts [06:12] - Iran conflict & mixed signals [08:33] - Impulsive vs. strategic leadership [11:48] - Exit strategies & escalation risks [19:28] - UN failures & global accountability [25:58] - Closing & key takeaways   Follow the Guest, Stuart Malsen: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-maslen-152976129/ Website: https://geneva-academy.ch/   Follow the Host, Bill Cancel: Website: https://www.theboricuabc2show.com/  BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/boricuabc2.bsky.social   Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0j6soWAazqs8DJTJJ9FsZr Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-boricuabc2-show/id1802890213 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Boricuabc2