The rights and wrongs of war.

TAPlank

War does not determine who is right.
War determines who is left.

Manic Moran

Well, setting aside Jus ad Bellum for a second, we can always go back to...

St Thomas Aquinas wrote:

In order for a war to be just, three things are necessary. First, the authority of the sovereign by whose command the war is to be waged. For it is not the business of a private individual to declare war, because he can seek for redress of his rights from the tribunal of his superior. Moreover it is not the business of a private individual to summon together the people, which has to be done in wartime. And as the care of the common weal is committed to those who are in authority, it is their business to watch over the common weal of the city, kingdom or province subject to them. And just as it is lawful for them to have recourse to the sword in defending that common weal against internal disturbances, when they punish evil-doers, according to the words of the Apostle (Rm. 13:4): "He beareth not the sword in vain: for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil"; so too, it is their business to have recourse to the sword of war in defending the common weal against external enemies. Hence it is said to those who are in authority (Ps. 81:4): "Rescue the poor: and deliver the needy out of the hand of the sinner"; and for this reason Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 75): "The natural order conducive to peace among mortals demands that the power to declare and counsel war should be in the hands of those who hold the supreme authority."

Secondly, a just cause is required, namely that those who are attacked, should be attacked because they deserve it on account of some fault. Wherefore Augustine says (Questions. in Hept., qu. x, super Jos.): "A just war is wont to be described as one that avenges wrongs, when a nation or state has to be punished, for refusing to make amends for the wrongs inflicted by its subjects, or to restore what it has seized unjustly."

Thirdly, it is necessary that the belligerents should have a rightful intention, so that they intend the advancement of good, or the avoidance of evil. Hence Augustine says (De Verb. Dom. [*The words quoted are to be found not in St. Augustine's works, but Can. Apud. Caus. xxiii, qu. 1]): "True religion looks upon as peaceful those wars that are waged not for motives of aggrandizement, or cruelty, but with the object of securing peace, of punishing evil-doers, and of uplifting the good." For it may happen that the war is declared by the legitimate authority, and for a just cause, and yet be rendered unlawful through a wicked intention. Hence Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 74): "The passion for inflicting harm, the cruel thirst for vengeance, an unpacific and relentless spirit, the fever of revolt, the lust of power, and such like things, all these are rightly condemned in war."

NTM

mysterious

War is the battle between right and left. War isn't about been right or whos wrong. War is a force of ego. Force of will against another.


War is unbalance, chaos and a form of action that is deliberate. It's force.

Humanity are still prone to this because we have not yet evolved. But we are evolving. The greed are trying to keep it going to keep the divide and chaos among us for their own needs and wishes.

diverdriver

War? I have two sons, one is two and a half and the other eight months just at the standing up stage. I left the room for a moment leaving the two year old happily munching his slice of bread and jam. Soon there was a lot screaming from the two of them. I rushed in to find the younger one had launched an unprovoked offensive against his brother's resources. (Yes I do feed him). Accompanied by a lot of screaming and pushing.

As I arrived, the baby had got the better of the argument and had grabbed the bread. I did my UN bit and calmed everyone down also supplying more bread to the combatants.

It occurred to me later that what I saw was war in microcosm. Competition for resources and competition to be the winner. It's an inbuilt instinct. It has to be, where else would an eight month old learn to fight for food?

That's what war is and was. War is normal, sad to say. It's part of the human psyche. Big wars seem unnatural to us but in fact they are just an extension of the normal struggles we see day to day. Right down to my baby sons.

BTW, yes the baby is quite aggressive and has quite the temper. One can only wonder at what kind of career he might follow one day!:cool:

mysterious

war isnt normal


Define normal. When ones defines the definition of normal, the meaning changes to another.

I can't handle the program psyche. labeling whats normal, when people are so brainwashed by society.

War is for people who want to lose lives.

Clawdeeus

Think he was saying war is natural, or at least that conflict was. Hello everyone by the way.

Black Swan

"In War, the Real Enemy is War Itself"
Link: http://www.addu.edu.ph/tambara/book_reviews/r1357_book.php

Manic Moran

I prefer...

"The only winning move is not to play"

NTM

Black Swan

Or...
"A game of chess?"

From another film I like too... Crimson Tide:

Hunter: In a nuclear world, the real enemy can't be destroyed.
Ramsey: Attention on deck, Von Clausewitz will now tell us who the real enemy is. Von?
Hunter: In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the real enemy is war itself.

silverharp

The fifth-century B.C. Chinese philosopher Mo-tzu once remarked that if someone can recognize an act of unjust aggression when it is perpetrated by one individual against another, but not when the same act is perpetrated by an organized group of individuals, such a person must be confused about right and wrong.