I guess you forgot who won WW2, and the Cold War then.
Compassion, Morality, Resolve and the Ingenuity of Free People trump Cold Calculating Brutality any day of the week.
But without Resolve, Freedom is doomed.
Hot wars are won through greater brutality against the brutal. WW2 was won with brutality, ingenuity and resolve. Bombing and nuking civilians is brutality but the only other choice was to be brutalized ourselves.
The Cold War was stopped in its tracks due to the threat of the greatest brutality imaginable. It was ‘won’ for now due to the slow collapse of a flawed economic system. The same people are still there and their new economic position is rapidly giving them more capability.
Even free people must be brutal at times to defend themselves. Or at least show that they are capable as in the Cold War.