What are the necessary conditions for ius ad bellum?

[andyklein]

Should we always prefer the status quo?

I’m really concerned about whether there is a right to revolution and what that implies. We can’t just resort to war or revolution whenever we find ourselves in an unjust state (whatever an unjust state implies)?

 

[mikekle]

Every american likes to take pride in many of the founding fathers and others during the american revolution and some of the things they did to ensure the US would be a free nation, the boston tea party comes to mind, those people were fighting against England and their taxes, yet I like to look at it thru modern eyes, had those same people been alive today, they would be considered terrorists by the US govt, and probably arrested and thrown in jail.

The US likes to ‘talk the talk’ when it comes to freedom and revolution, but if/ when it ever came to someone refreshing the tree of liberty in modern times, you can bet the US govt would fight back with a vengeance, against ANY person or group who tried to do anything like this., even though our constitution requires it of every US citizen, if they have the ability and means, and the right conditions are met, (some would say a revolution is long over due though).

Somewhere along the lines, the US started down a path leading to a full police state, if you look at all the restrictions, regulations in place and all the new ones created, it is easy to see this IMO. Our govt also forgot the US govt is one of the people, and for the people, not the opposite.

 

[andyklein]

Every american likes to take pride in many of the founding fathers and others during the american revolution and some of the things they did to ensure the US would be a free nation, the boston tea party comes to mind, those people were fighting against England and their taxes, yet I like to look at it thru modern eyes, had those same people been alive today, they would be considered terrorists by the US govt, and probably arrested and thrown in jail.

The US likes to ‘talk the talk’ when it comes to freedom and revolution, but if/ when it ever came to someone refreshing the tree of liberty in modern times, you can bet the US govt would fight back with a vengeance, against ANY person or group who tried to do anything like this., even though our constitution requires it of every US citizen, if they have the ability and means, and the right conditions are met, (some would say a revolution is long over due though).

Somewhere along the lines, the US started down a path leading to a full police state, if you look at all the restrictions, regulations in place and all the new ones created, it is easy to see this IMO. Our govt also forgot the US govt is one of the people, and for the people, not the opposite.

So you think there should be loose conditions implied by the right to go to war? And we have a right to overthrow the current US government?

And the American revolution was technically a secession, so references to that are kind of missing the point.

 

[Petaro]

I have always been fascinated by the quirk in the American psyche that revels in governmental conspiracy and supports some frontier like individualism that fosters the gun culture. It also allows for a social extremism that results sometimes in Columbine violence and human tragedy on a massive scale.

A just war is an animal forged in the philosopher’s kiln mixing gold with base metal to create an evil based on love. It demands of definition are outside human ability, thus even in putting down a mad dog like Hitler, much evil was done. War is often described in the vision of our seers as a punishment from God.

America would be wise not to involve itself in every violent dispute throughout the world, and restrict itself to erasing the social injustices that presently beset the very fabric of its social contract.
People who call for a just revolution should look to Martin Luther King rather than Che Guevara.

 

[gwarald]

 

[andyklein]

If in the hypothetical that war is ever justified, what would that justification imply. I don’t mean to ask: when should we go to war. I’m asking: if we ever engage in a just war, what are those justifications. I’m asking what anyone would think are necessary, not sufficient, conditions for justifying the resort to war.