Assignment #9- Noah Ford

Time for War
There are only three situations in which it is acceptable to go to war. The first situation is when another country has violated the rights of a nation, such as sinking its ships, assaulting its territories, and passing laws that infringe upon another nation's trading, transportation, and politics. The second situation is when the first situation has happened to a nation with which a country has a defensive, military or similar treaty. A defensive treaty is a treaty signed between two nations that says that if either nation is attacked by another nation, the other nation is under obligation to send troops to defend that attacked nation. A military treaty is a treaty that states that if either nation goes to war, the other nation is obligated to follow them into that war as if the allied nation's war was its own. The third situation is not considered right by any means. It is when two nations contain two religions that cannot co-exist and that cause tensions that may lead to a larger war, and is best to let them establish their existence on their own, even if it results in the destruction another nation. Think of it like killing a small amount of people for the larger mass of people.

Morally Right?
When thinking about war, you cannot apply labels or sides to a war in terms of good and bad. If you ask either side, they will say they are just. Wars happen because both sides think they are just, and those two views of just are in conflict. War itself is immoral. Wars sound fancy and proper because of the motives, but in reality, wars are humans killing humans to get whatever it is they are fighting over. It also isn't the lesser of two evils. Wars are ambivalent against morals. Allies joining wars aren't choosing an evil to side with, they are choosing which view they agree with the most.

Responsibility for War

The only times war is a responsibility is when there is a treaty obligation, a religious obligation, or a liberty obligation. All three of these situations have precedents, believe it or not. World Wars I and II were both caused by a web of military or defensive treaties. All the countries involved (excluding the US) either had a military or defensive treaty, and everyone was forced into the war because of Germany. The crusades were a perfect example of a religious obligation. The Crusaders were sent by the Church of England to try to destroy Islam, and this resulted later in a jihad (same thing a Crusade, but Islamic) against the Church of England by the Ottoman-Turks. Finally, a liberty obligation is when a nation's rights were being ignored or purposefully infringed upon by another nation. This is perfectly described by the War of 1812. American sailors and ships were being seized, by both the French and the British, and their good taken and sailors forced to work in the British navy. President Madison went to war because those nations refused to acknowledge our demands.

Alternatives

War is ambivalent to morals and opinion. It exists for the strong to cull the weak and to take from the losing side. Right is decided by the winner. War is a responsibility under specific circumstances but is only to be considered just or right unless justified by the wrongs.