There is no “just war” |
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By M. Filli A. |
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April 11, 2003 |
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No matter how one rolls and turns it and regardless of biblical and other religious myths, there is no “just war” but just cause. War is evil by all standards and without ‘buts and ifs’. It is utterly absurd to say war is categorically evil and to turn around and justify war if certain criteria are met. This is tantamount to custom tailoring the evilness of war according to one’s egoistical needs such as the blabber about war being the last means to resolve societal conflicts. Therein lies the fallacy of the theory of pacifism that maintains that war is evil and calls for its avoidance but turns around and justifies war if certain set of self-serving criteria is met as a last means. |
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If analogy could be of any help, then another religious myth of ‘do not steal’ would be ludicrous if it would permit stealing if a set of religious conditions were met as in the case of a good Samaritan that steals bread from a convenient store to save the life of a starving pedestrian. Helping a starving person is no doubt a just cause, but a just cause will not justify stealing. Shoplifting is legally punishable under all circumstances. |
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Probable, just cause or not, war is evil. There is neither first nor last means that would make war holy or just. Eritrea’s quest for national independence is, was, and has been a just cause that was achieved by means of war. Yet, that doesn’t make war just. In fact, Eritrea’s experience makes war more evil than ever every time we commemorate our martyrs and our disabled veterans are daily reminders of the horrors of war. Yes, war is evil and there is no “just war” both as a matter of principle and as a matter of morality, unless one wants to deny the horrors of war and negate humanity. |
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There is a just cause but not a “just war”. |
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