"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." --Edmund Burke

I'm not trying to shove anything down anyone's throat, but I have a humble request for all my fellow Americans on this spot.

My dad will be going to Iraq soon as a chaplain to minister to the soldiers over there. Even if you don't agree with war or the stuff in Iraq, please keep him and the troops in your prayers! We need to give them our love and gratitude and let them know we care. Let's remind them why we're worth fighting for. :) Thank you!

War is a waste of life, time and money.

Wow, Luciie-Goosiie, that was a slap at Dearheart's face.

i agree with Luciie-Goosiie

Lol, ShadowFlame... *rubs face* :p It's alright, I'm used to that... and I don't mind people having strong opinions about things. But thanks. You're awesome. :)

You can support the troops and not support war at the same time. I agree with Luciie-Goosiie, but that doesn't mean I'm not supportive of the men and women who are fighting. My thoughts are with your family, Dearheart, even though I don't agree with the war.

Thank you, lina! You're awesome too. :)

I think war is completely appropriate in some instances, such as the American Revolution or the Civil War. Freedom isn't free and people fought to protect their freedoms.

Another part of me thinks, why can't we just all get along?

Good luck to your father, Dearheart-- I'm sure he'll make a big difference in the lives of the troops. Chaplains and Ministers are very much appreciated in the military environment, especially in a war zone. I know this because I grew up among marines and military chaplains. ;o)

For the record, the War in Iraq does not meet the qualifications of a just war. We shouldn't be there in the first place, but since we are, like Lina said, the troops are only serving their country and following orders, and that should be admired, not condemned.

Fortunately, as we are not in the military, we are allowed to question the ethics of this war, our Commander in Chief, and the reasons/logic behind it, and I encourage everyone to do that at all times. "Patriotism is not blind. Patriotism is questioning the actions of your government, recognizing your government's faults, and actively working to fix them."-- a very bright and dear friend.

Very true, atari. I totally agree. On one hand, I know that wars are very necessary sometimes (America wouldn't even BE here otherwise), and that we need to defend our country and help the people who need help in other places around the world. On the other hand, I know that war is a bloody, gruesome thing...and like you, sometimes I wish we could all just "get along."

Sadly, the harsh reality is that terrorists aren't interested in holding hands and singing "Kumbaya", lol. Their mistake. :p

And thanks, Cinders; I really appreciate it. And I like the option you added! Good choice. :)

I know this is going to sound horribly inhumane but wars are needed to keep the world population under control among other things

*GASP* Oh you horrible, inhumane person!! :p Lol, just kidding. That's one way of looking at it. I guess...

Actually, adavila, you are in good company. The Greeks believed that wars were caused by Zeus stirring up human affairs, after Gaia told him that their numbers were too numerous, and the weight of the human race was too heavy for her to bear.

Didn't the Greeks also believe Zeus had Hephaestus create Pandora, and give her to Epimethius so she'd open a jar with 'evils' in it, those evils being war, famine, pain, etc, to destroy humans?

Details of the Pandora myth differ from account to account. The evils she released into the world by opening that jar are never truly specified, or if they are, they often vary according to story. The one invariable in the Pandora myth is that she was able to close the box in time to keep "the only good god remaining" which was hope (Quote from Theognis of Megara).

But in essence, yes. Pandora released the evils of the world, similar to the Biblical Eve... But isn't this a digression?

i might agree with Cinders, except that i don't believe there is really such thing as a truly "just" war. the people in power will always have ulterior motives.

What about civil wars and revolutions? Are they always wrong?

Good point. After all, without war, a lot of great nations probably wouldn't exist today. And to quote one of my favorite LotR characters...

"There's some good in this world...and it's worth fighting for."

Oooh, I love Sam!! He's the best! (Sorry, hehe. Ringer-geek moment.) :D

I think germany123's motto says it for me. "Fighting for peace is like !#@?ing for virginity". I am an absolute pacifist, there is so many better ways to solve problems.

I have to (sortof) admit that sometimes wars are/were necessary, but I still don't think they are right in any way. That probably sounds mixed up, but it makes sense to me.
But like lila said, it's not like I don't support the troops. I think it's kinda admirable that they would sacrafice anything for the safety of their country and family.

Sometimes you have to do wrong things for the right reasons, or look like the Bad Guy to do what's right in the end. It's sad...but hey, that's reality. :(

It seems to me that most people who are pacifists and whatnot are the ones who have never known war or experienced real military stuff firsthand. In America, at least. And please don't take any of this offensively; all I'm doing is thinking out loud and making my own observations. Of course, I could easily be wrong. I don't have any lovely statistics to back me up on this at the moment and I can't look for them right now, lol.

I guess being in the military is double edged sword. On one hand, the country's safe and everyone's enjoying their free, happy lives - on the other hand, a lot of people don't fully understand or appreciate what it takes to keep it that way.

Americans (and anyone else this could apply to)...thanks to our troops, most of you can sleep peacefully at night and enjoy living in a free nation with free speech. You don't know or have to know what it's like to deal with terrorism and life-and-death situations on a daily basis. But because of that, so many of you don't understand; you have NO clue what it takes to protect those freedoms. And so when it comes to "fighting for peace" and doing the dirty work, you reject the idea completely and forget what it is that keeps those terrorists and other nasty stuff away from our country and away from you.

Again, none of this is meant offensively and I'm sorry if it sounds that way. I just wish more people would understand - there is evil in this world, evil that will stop at nothing to destroy us. And if we don't defeat it - if we hesitate or slack off even for a moment - it'll mow us down and waltz right through the open door.

War is tragic and horrible; our soldiers know that better than most do. But a broken, un-free USA would be even more tragic; and again, our soldiers know that better than most.

America, my dear, sweet country, please - don't take your freedom for granted.

Lovely post, Dearheart, I just want to mention that the "War on Terror" is not helping to prevent terrorism... Like I've said many times before, terrorism isn't localized in Iraq.

But war in general is, at this point in human and social evolution, sometimes necessary for the sake of A) societal/political change within a nation (civil wars and revolutions), B) helping in a human rights crisis (World War II), and a few other things I don't remember now because I'm tired.

I just haven't even got the energy for this one.

Terrorists indeed. I can't believe people are still to this day buying that excuse.

while i do think some people take their freedom for granted i don't think all pacifist do

and just for reference until america has equal rights for everyone (and by this i am referring to gay rights and how the state is biased to christians and probably many other examples i am too tied to think of) then it is NOT a free country

UNLIKE THE WAR IN AFGANISTAN - HACEN TO ADD!!

Perhaps I misread, but was Dearheart's question about a particular war? While I think she may have hinted about current conflicts in the world, I don't think any have been explicitly called out in her comments. As such, I think this debate question is about war in general (I mean, obviously, given that the question says that), not specific current world events.

I haven't answered yet because I'm having a hard time distinguishing the three "War is conditionally acceptable" responses: they all seem identical. Having three separate picks that say the same thing weakens the argument in favor of war as justified in some circumstances. Could someone explain the differences for little old me?

I'm also going to add the logically missing pick, though I'd be surprised if anyone chose it.

war is stupid
but we live in an imperfect world

The answer I added was specifically in reference to Just War Theory... in case that helps harold. :oS

Whether a Just War has ever been fought is a debate all on its own.

War is our history, it's always terrible but sometimes is right (when you fight for something you love or to self-defence) but I don't think that any of the wars fought in the history were right. "Just War" can be dangerous cos every mad man in the world can say a war is right (think about jihad or crusades)

They can say it.

But to be a Just War, it has to adhere to the tenets of a Just War. You need Jus Ad Bellum, in other words, "The Right To War", (for example, intention should be about protecting human life rather than revenge, conquering land, or taking lives), and Jus in Bello, or the principals maintained while waging war (like the immunity of civilians and the proportionality of damage.)

The thing is, there are several rules in Just War Theory.

It is my belief that very few wars, if any at all, have followed every single one of them.

I am a pacifist, yet I recognize that that is an ideal opinion and it does not mean I do not support the troops. War is going to happen, unfortunately, just or unjust.

Cinders - Curious, have you ever read anything by Daniel M. Bell or his article "Can War Against Terror Be Just? Or, What is Just War Good For?" I realize that that is a specific example, but I wanted to know if you have ever read him? :)

my dad almost died in war he got stabbed right next to his heart. ='( war should not be allowed. - crys - My dad almost died

All war does is create a cycle of mass destruction, death, and woe among millions. Along with demonstrating the falsified pros of aggression. But that's my opinion of war. :/

I'll also agree that it war can easily become evil.

Freedom isn't free. My father was in the military, I have very close friends with brothers who've seen action, and Dearheart's father (my godfather) has been over there. I missed him terribly, so I know what war is like. In a broken world, we need people willing to act as the glue. (aside from God, of course)