War (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Pacifism seems to place infinite weight on sins of commission and none whatsoever on those of omission. It is a counterfeit ethics: for instead of grappling with the hard realities of our world, pacifism takes as its focus the imagined moral purity of the pacifist himself—who merely pretends to be good while others do the dirty work of defending
... See moreSam Harris • Sometimes, Violence Really Is the Answer
“In theory, neutrality should have no place in a modern world that has outlawed the use of force as a tool of policy and purports to divide all conflict neatly into categories of aggressor and victim.”
A pretext used to control and threaten of others we have no power over —>
“It is invoked by warring states seeking to control and threaten the actions
... See moreThe destructiveness of war—short of total destruction, which is not war but suicide—is not in itself an argument against waging war unless one thinks (as few people actually do think) that violence is always unjustifiable, that force is always and in all circumstances wrong—wrong because, as Simone Weil affirms in her sublime essay on war, “The
... See moreSusan Sontag • Regarding the Pain of Others
Finally, Powers said, "even though we can justify the killing of bin Laden, we do so with a sense of deep regret and with a recommitment to develop nonmilitary ways to defend against terrorism and address its deeper roots, while cultivating the peaceable virtues without which no lasting peace is possible."
Patricia Zapor • Bin Laden Killing Poses Moral Questions | National Catholic Reporter
“The thing that separates war from murder is the law.” David French, former U.S. Army lawyer.