Editor,
With the
current war against Iran on everybody’s minds, a question should arise: “What is the moral justification for the United States attacking Iran February 28?” Over the course of thousands of years, several moral theories have been advanced. Following will be an abbreviated summary with my brief comments. I urge fellow citizens to their own research.
Just War theory is prominent in most Christian churches and influential in Western democracy militaries such as the United States. Criteria involve a just cause and a just means for waging war.
1. The authority waging the war must be legitimate. (Comment: The U.S. Constitution gives full authority to wage war with Congress. The attack on Iran was not authorized by Congress)
2. The cause must be just. (Comment: This typically involves militarily defending against an enemy attack. Iran did not militarily attack or threaten the U.S. nor its allies)
3. War is a last resort. All other means for peace such as fair-minded negotiation have been futile. Revenge, vindictiveness, greed cannot be obstacles to peace. (Comment: There was no proof that Iran was building nuclear weaponry with aggressive intent. The U.S. tore up an earlier treaty and refused to renegotiate)
4. Success should be probable. (Comment: The U.S. ignored warnings that Iran’s resistance would be formidable)
5. The use of arms must not produce evils worse than those evils to be eliminated. Civilian populations and their needful infrastructure must be protected. (Comment: The U.S. massively funds its co-belligerent Israel in its destruction of Gaza and Lebanon.)
National Interest War can involve expansion of territory for ethnic living space; guaranteeing strategic trade and access to resources such as oil; empire-like domination and control of other nations. (Comment: Was Iran attacked to incite a regime change for more favorable oil control? Is the harsh blockade of Cuba to incite regime change to pull that nation into the U.S. orbit of hemisphere control?)
Holy War is justification by religion or ideology. “God is on our side. God wills this war.” Holy war is found in subsets of all religions. “Defense of the Free World.” is ideological holy war. Atheistic Communism ideologically justifies aggressive war to liberate the proletariat. The medieval crusades were holy wars. An ethnicity may justify its aggression to defend its “purity” against another race or people group.
In holy wars, the adversary has no rights. A holy war need not be winnable since its own fallen are esteemed as martyrs for the holy cause. The enemy is dehumanized as inferior, evil, incorrigible. There is no self-restraint to utterly destroying the enemy nation and its people. Negotiation, empathy, compromise is weakness and traitorous to the cause. (Comment: The U.S. Secretary of War promises to give “no quarter” to the “barbaric savages” of the Iranian regime and calls on the American people to pray for victory “in the name of Jesus Christ.” He publicly prayed for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”)
Pacifism abstains from all lethal violence. Action might include nonviolent resistance to oppressive regimes. Service might be volunteerism and financial aid to meet health, food, and development to other countries. (Comment: The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 precipitated the fall of Communist-controlled East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia. In 2025, USAID foreign aid was sharply cut.)
Jesus taught by word and example that the greatest in His Kingdom would serve the needs of others. (Mark 9:35; John 13:1-17). To all American patriots, in similar way let us “Make America Great” by applying our nation’s wealth and creativity to serve and partner in building compassionate thriving communities here and abroad. Let’s turn our “swords into plowshares.”
Allen Johnson
Dunmore
