War Is an Abomination
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War is an abomination. War is very much evil, but is it necessary? In an ideal world killing fellow humans would not be necessary. Destroying lives, homes, and innocence, is not right. But what if it is the only choice? What if more lives and liberty depend on war? Then is it necessary? In some cases, such as World War 2, it was apparent that we had to intervene. If not, millions of lives would surly be lost, with many more to follow. Therefore is war a necessary evil? Or are there other just reasons? I have to say it is all of the above, circumstantial if you will.
Some of the earliest known human remains had spears embedded in their flesh. What this tells us is that violence is a fundamental part of our genetic code. We have evolved much further since then, but the evil remains. It is simply nature, to want something and to obtain it by any means necessary. Now today, the majority of the world lives in a civilized society, with laws and rules, by which most people will abide. This has certainly brought on order, far more than the past. But to this day, wars are still waged.
When it comes to speaking about the morality or ethics of war, it is very hard to determine whether or not the cause is greater than the symptom. War has existed as long as civilized humans have been walking this earth. It might be safe to say that violence is in our nature, and that war is inevitable. But the truth is, the justness of war is very circumstantial.
Just War Theory is a Roman doctrine of war ethics studied primarily by policy makers and ethicists. The theory holds that violent conflict ought to meet philosophical, religious, or political criteria. It is a given that war is one of the worst evils suffered by mankind. According to Just War Theory, war ought to be the last resort of a conflict and should only occur to prevent an even greater evil. Examples of Just War include : Self-defense (only with the possibility of victory), preventive war against a Tyrant who is about to attack, punishment to a guilty enemy. Once a war has started, there remain moral limits. For example one may not kill innocents or hostages. Under this doctrine, expansionist wars, wars of pillage, wars to convert infidels, and wars for glory are all inherently unjust.
Many would consider Just War Theory very agreeable. It makes sense. When aiming to maintain civilized life, wars are inevitable and in most situations, deemed necessary. But, not all wars have been just. Not all wars have been necessary. The problem is, Just War Theory is exactly what its name entails, a theory.
Our nation (U.S.A.) was established with a fight for independence, so our iconography grew out of war. Our national anthem celebrates it; our language of patriotism is inseparable from a battle cry. Our every military campaign is still launched