Catholic Just War Theory Applied

[arisbe]

"Is the political objective we seek to achieve important, clearly defined and understood? Have all other nonviolent policy means failed? Will military force achieve the objective? At what cost? Have the gains and risks been analyzed? How might the situation that we seek to alter, once it is altered by force, develop further and what might be the consequences?" -- General Colin Powell, 1992

Comments

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Though, you have to admit, its interesting that there
is a selective application of critique for the current
war as opposed to say World War II the last "good" war.

War is never good, but it is about survival. If I have
to throw in with a side I throw in with America because
I can sue someone like Tammy Baker.

Try that in Iran.

[arisbe.livejournal.com]

Blame my Quaker education, but I even have my doubts about WWII.

As far as I can tell the Fascists (in this term I include Spain and Portugal, but exculde the Nazis) saved more Jews than the Allies. And the American involvement arguably accelerated the extermination programs and kept Hitler in power long after the military would have removed him.

[arichi.livejournal.com]

There's also the worry that US involvement kept the Soviets in power. Richard Maybury suggested in his book (and I doubt he's alone on this) that both the Soviets and the Nazis were about to collapse in late 1941, and American involvement helped keep the Soviets in power.
[Besides, if one were pro-war and disliked both sides, wouldn't it have made more sense to pounce on whichever survived that war in their weakened state?]