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| Not a terribly nice man - But would his successor be any better? |
The decision to go to attack Syria is essentially a moral and ethical one. What evil has been done and who has done it and what punishment do they deserve and who should punish the perpetrators of this evil?
First of all -- is there overwhelming evidence as to the guilty party in this? Probably there is but what should be done?
The take on this can be traced back to the principles of a just war which were stated by a Doctor of the Church - St Thomas Aquinas.
1. War must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as a state ( Or even the United Nations?)
2. War must be waged for a good and just purpose -- not to serve the interests of a state or group of states or for self gain or for self interest.
3. A just cause means that a wrong that has been done must be righted (territory returned) or if that cannot be done then the perpetrators of that wrong need to be punished. But punished proportionately
4. A peaceful solution must be the ultimate intention.
An authority must fight for the just reasons it has expressly claimed for declaring war in the first place. There are rights to act in self defence and to punish a guilty enemy. War can be pre-emptive if a tyrant is going to attack you and you have incontrovertible proof of that. The use of more force than is absolutely necessary would constitute an unjust war. Civilians and prisoners of war need to be treated properly and that means without cruelty and with measured compassion. Interestingly the people have the right to oppose a state that wages an unjust war.
These principles are summed up in a modern way by the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
- there must be serious prospects of success;
- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated
Probably on the basis of the latter 2 points -- The British Parliament has voted no to action in Syria. Will the US Congress follow suit?
Terrible things have happened in Syria -- but ultimately do we know whether any of our military actions will lead to something better?
First of all -- is there overwhelming evidence as to the guilty party in this? Probably there is but what should be done?
The take on this can be traced back to the principles of a just war which were stated by a Doctor of the Church - St Thomas Aquinas.
1. War must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as a state ( Or even the United Nations?)
2. War must be waged for a good and just purpose -- not to serve the interests of a state or group of states or for self gain or for self interest.
3. A just cause means that a wrong that has been done must be righted (territory returned) or if that cannot be done then the perpetrators of that wrong need to be punished. But punished proportionately
4. A peaceful solution must be the ultimate intention.
An authority must fight for the just reasons it has expressly claimed for declaring war in the first place. There are rights to act in self defence and to punish a guilty enemy. War can be pre-emptive if a tyrant is going to attack you and you have incontrovertible proof of that. The use of more force than is absolutely necessary would constitute an unjust war. Civilians and prisoners of war need to be treated properly and that means without cruelty and with measured compassion. Interestingly the people have the right to oppose a state that wages an unjust war.
These principles are summed up in a modern way by the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
- there must be serious prospects of success;
- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated
Probably on the basis of the latter 2 points -- The British Parliament has voted no to action in Syria. Will the US Congress follow suit?
Terrible things have happened in Syria -- but ultimately do we know whether any of our military actions will lead to something better?
Unless we are certain that military action will improve the lot of the oppressed we should think very carefully before we act.
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