Efficacy of International Law

As one could almost expect, here is another bit of evidence that the theoretical foundation of International Law is being serious eroded, like a limestone sculpture, built fifty years ago, but now after being left outside exposed to the elements, the statue is hardly recognizable. Instead of being a finely crafted work of legal art, the corpus of international law is abstract, in that it requires people to take a logical leap over the chasm of Westphalian sovereignty, like a leap of faith to land in the perfect world where nation-states will actually impede their own political objectives for the sake of doing the right thing. The United Nations has already compromised to the sovereign interests of nation-states for the sake of allowing the Trade Ban to retain a semblance of revelance.

As I see it, there is something serious morally culpable about this whole affair. Elephants are not citizens, and therefore not entitled to protection. However, in the interconnected nature of reality, the loss of these elephants and their continued decimation in countries, such as Zambia, for the sake of ivory consumers in China and Japan, will have drastic effects on the environment, economy, and society of those countries who continue to ignore the 1989 Ivory Trade Ban.

There is more to follow, as the rage moves me.