“the essence of war is violence, and that moderation in war is imbecility.” - Thomas Babington Macauley
The issue is much simpler. Is war a bizarre unusual thing that can be cured permanently by a few common sense actions or principles, or is it a permanent and necessary part of the human condition, whether people like it or not?
The latter is transparently the case, and beliefs in the former instead are sheer unrealistic wishful thinking. It is not a sign of barbarity or evil to have eyes open enough to see this. It is mere ability to face reality.