Should war be only used for defense?

Question

Does that mean the bombing campaign Clinton ordered in Yugoslavia was unjust? Please don't bring Iraq into this question. I am just trying to understand ppl.'s opinions on war. Maybe that is the reason the UN never did anything in Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Darfur... the UN was not being attacked, but rather innocent people

Answer 1

War should only be used in defense or for the defense of others who cannot fully defend themselves.
And the UN hasn't done much because they are a bunch of pudwhacks.

Answer 2

Man...that's a toughie. I would have to say no though. War should be the last resort when all efforts at diplomacy fail, but I also equate it to my daily life and how I react.

A true scenario: Doing some last minute Christmas shopping, I see a young man running full speed through the store, evading capture by the store security officers. He stiff arms an elderly woman, knocking her to the ground. I intercept him and detain him using reasonable force until the local law enforcement arrives.

Using a logical concept of war being only for defense, I should have stayed clear and not acted.

But that is not the way I was raised. Sometimes you have to walk out in the street and pound the bully into submission when he is picking on a smaller kid.

As to the US's inaction in the cases you mentioned, I can only say that my preference would have been to offer help in whatever form would have been most effective. Why was it not done? Well, the skeptical side of me tends to believe it would not have been politically advantageous for the politician at the time.

Wish I had a better answer but that's how I see it. And as regards the UN, they seem to be for the most part worthless these days in real conflicts. They stood by, photographing Hizbullah soldiers kidnapping and beating Israeli soldiers, taken from sovereign Israeli soil. So they seem to negate any positive effect they might have by their inaction as well.

Answer 3

War in most cases should only be an act of defense. The grey area like Clinton's kosovo campaign are usually done in the defense of a people who can't defend themselves. It was also considered a defensive operation as the war threatened to spread to NATO countries like Greece. The mess in Africa is a prime candidate for intervention but because none of the major powers is in Africa the Africans are ignored. It should be noted that at the time of these tragedies the US is pinned down else where.

Answer 4

War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organizations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of violent, physical force between combatants or upon civilians. Other terms for war, which often serve as euphemisms, include armed conflict, hostilities, and police action. War is contrasted with peace, which is usually defined as the absence of war. In some occassions peace is protected by the combative actions of war. An example of this would be striking a target (foreign/ domestic) who is believed to harbor an enemy group or direct threat and/or immediate danger to a peaceful group. The group which poses the threat hasn't committed any actions to disrupt peace, but there is evidence that it is preparing to commit an offensive.So my belief is that war can also be waged through offensive actions and be just so as long as it is protecting peace or preventing an escalation of current violence.

Answer 5

this is my opinion on war:

I think that with all the technological advances we should have invented robots to do war for us. i think that although we as Americans should fight for America there is no need to kill innocents. if there was ever a war in America i think that alot of opinions would change about war and the "rules"of war. i know that we fought the civil war, but that is alot different than what is going on now with mines and bombs. not everyone is fair and just, i get that, but that does not mean that we have the right to blow up entire countries just because there are people that live there that have wronged us.

Answer 6

War's primary use should be as defense... and in other situation should only be used when ALL other means and resources have been exhausted. and even then with great caution... for wars of that nature can still be unjust..... it's better to be the quiet guy at the end of the bar that doesn't start crap, but always finishes it than to be the bully... because eventually the bully will pick a fight he can not win.

Answer 7

Provide for the common defense . This pretty much covers it .
our intervention in all wars has been tenuous at best in regards to the constitution .
Going After terrorists would require an agreement with Nations around the world to allow troops to apprehend and detain criminals who have acted in concert with others to attack America .
It is not our right to enter another nation without its full consent and support .
What we have done since 9-11 is to spread hate and fear of America around the world .
Did anyone believe that Terrorists would get away with attacking America .
Had we waited and looked hard enough for those involved we would have been hailed as a truly great nation .
Instead we are war mongers and criminals in the minds of many of the worlds people .
Defend America yes ,occupy other nations no .

Answer 8

Sometimes wars are the only way to achieve peace and you can't always avoid it. Those that say that war is not the answer do not have a clue. Many of the worlds greatest freedoms is because of wars like revolutionary war of independence,civil war (freed blacks) WW2 freed Europe, Korean war freed South Korea there will be some who disagree but you can't dispute facts.

Answer 9

I wonder why you did not accept my challenge is it because rhetorical questions and insults is what is in your arsenal?

The answer is yes it should only be used for defense, for the defense of this country and for the defense of innocent people that are potential victims of genocide. I can think of many better places than Iraq to defend people, like Somalia, Chad, the Sudan.

Answer 10

well lets see I would have to say war should never be used. how can it be used in defense when someone has to take aggresion. either war should be tolerable for many reasons or no reasons. and this just depends on what morals you have now. i say war makes sence because their is hate and anger, and words cannot solve everything. that is why there is war. because men think like me, solve problems in anyway ethically possible. its used for defense to keep the people in harm from dieing but also at the same time kills people that are not purposely voluntary they are forced to fight not for the cause...honestly war is an interesting thing i cant say its useless because it does serve its point. its point is that no government is perfect because mankind lives how they want to.