When is war justified?

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When is war justified?

Only those of legitimate authority may justly lead its country into war. This tenet disallows justifying war for the purpose of economic gain, land acquisition, or strategic position. If war is to be justly initiated just cause, usually humanitarian, must first exist.

Two specific conditions are necessary to justify war. First, direct aggression against the United States, our allies, or those who are unable to protect themselves against direct aggression. Second, indirect aggression against the U.S. During both conditions the moral correctness, realistic threat, and potential harm would be assessed to determine an appropriate response. After a decision has been make from those premises, war could morally be justified and action should be taken. However, indirect aggression is the most difficult premise to evaluate. Its relevancy to our nation and allies is difficult to determine succinctly. In order to understand how we would deal with such a condition to engage in a war built on this premise one must understand U.S.

Ideology. Current U.S. ideology insists that direct aggression be met with self defense. Under this condition, the main concerns are the safety of its citizens, the freedom to exercise their rights and proportional intervention against the aggressor to ensure such safety and freedom. An example of U.S. policy this situation occurred on December 7, 1941. The United States declared war on Japan in self-defense. U.S. response was considered necessary and imminent. Indirect aggression on the other hand, it is not so easy to establish a just war.

Every war fought after World War II rested on the U.S. response to indirect aggression. Capitalism and democracy is directly opposed to or influence was perceived as a direct threat and destroyed, if by no other reason, by fear. The thought established in the 1950's the sheds...