69 million page views

The "Just War" Theory

Reader comment on item:

Submitted by cubed (United States), Aug 15, 2006 at 17:39

Another excellent resource on the current view of how war should be properly conducted - and the reason we haven't won a war (or even had the integrity to formally declare war) since WWII - is the book "Just and Unjust Wars" by Michael Walzer.

This is, unfortunately, the major textbook on the "ethics of warfare" for West Point and other military schools and universities. While many among us have never heard of the book OR of the "Just War" theory, it is, in fact, a formal theory with a long history, and has widely influenced our media, our government institutions (including our politicians and diplomatic corps) and our military policy makers.

What the "Just War" theory advocates isn't anything of the sort; it is a manual on defeatism, a PC handbook on "how not to win - ever." A very clear expose of how the "Just War" sabotages our right to self defense and produces disasters such as the capitulation of Israel to Hezbollah is found in the spring issue of the Objective Standard; the relevant article can be seen at http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2006-spring/just-war-theory.asp.

The wholesale rejection of the "Just War" theory is crucial to our survival.

Dislike
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Next Comment >>

Reader comments (9) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
this is academic... [167 words]BobAug 24, 2006 15:4053917
Do you talk of anything else besides war? [249 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Daniel DubeiAug 21, 2006 16:4053628
Let's Talk about Egypt and Jordan [325 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Daniel DubeiAug 24, 2006 22:4653628
Just a Piece of Paper? [219 words]Daniel DubeiAug 25, 2006 11:1753628
Moderate Muslims : hard to find [82 words]AlSJAug 19, 2006 19:4453482
Whitewash of Muslim attacks [72 words]Indigent GunnerAug 18, 2006 15:2853390
"Ethnic Cleansing" as Hezbollah and Iran's Goal [64 words]KenAug 17, 2006 00:0253165
Yes, a most insidious change [628 words]ChristinaAug 16, 2006 14:3153091
The "Just War" Theory [196 words]cubedAug 15, 2006 17:3952932

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2026 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)