Hust Cause War

A growing number of people today believe that war is always wrong, that no circumstances ever justify one nation’s taking up arms against another. I feel this view is not ethically sound. There are times when countries have no choice but to go to war.

Human beings have been fighting each other since prehistoric times, and people have been discussing the rights and wrongs of it for almost as long. Deciding whether to go to war is a difficult decision. Sometimes going to war can cost the lives of millions and cause terrible suffering. However sometimes going to war can save people and eventually improve their lives.

There are six conditions that must be satisfied for a war to be considered just:

* The war must be for a just cause.

* The war must be lawfully declared by a lawful authority.

* The intention behind the war must be good.

* All other ways of resolving the problem should have been tried first.

* There must be a reasonable chance of success.

* The means used must be in proportion to the end that the war seeks to achieve.

When a country is attacked by another it should be able to defend itself and protect its citizens. But a war that starts as a Just War may stop being a Just War if the means used to wage it are inappropriate.

Also wars may start to prevent suffering and preserve a country’s sovereignty. A country’s sovereignty is its ability to do what it wants free from external control. Deciding to go to war with a country to prevent the suffering of its citizens involves balancing a country’s right to sovereignty against the value of improving the lives of those who live there. Sometimes human suffering is so bad that we must intervene. We just can’t allow things such as genocide, human rights violation and starvation to occur.

Some people feel we should not get involved in other countries problems because it costs us and risks the lives of our own. To some extent I do agree because going to war for...