Conflict
Due to the decentralized nature of villages and the consequent difficulties with coordinating large scale forces, large-scale warfare has largely been unseen. Due to the Villagers' pacifism and the expenses associated with creating Iron Golems, the Players remain the only viable military force. However, that in itself presents insurmountable challenges. The Players, who are legendarily individualistic and anarchic, rarely listen to people they do not believe to be their superior, would just as readily charge a line of Iron Golems as they would set their own banner on fire. Due to the difficulties with waging war, sabotage remains a highly effective method of beating down villages which are deemed 'uppity' or a potential competitor. Many popular methods exist, such as completely destroying the food supply or kidnapping the ruling council and executing them in the Nether, but in the end the result is the same. A village ruined, all due to another man's machinations.
The ever-present danger of mob attacks and raids, as well as the ease of crafting, has caused many villages to not require identification for a Player to possess weaponry. Though this can cause extensive internal conflict, many villages choose to shoulder this burden in lieu of leaving themselves completely undefended.