Modern Warfare Flashcards
Who are the victims of war?
Casualties of war/battlefield - physical or mental injuries/scars
Citizens within the country at war
Those conscripted - hopes for the future (education + family)
Countries relying on trade
Allied countries
Refugees
Political leaders
Child soldiers - grooming, trafficking, indoctrinated
What are the 8 criteria within the Just War Theory?
1-Last Resort
2-Gov authorised
3-Just Cause
4-Chance of success in War
5-The good of war has to outweigh the bad
6-Proportionality (fairness between sides)
7-Defend the innocent
8-Peace must be restored
Reasons to go to war/cause
Self defence - retaliation - revenge
Territory - reclaim land (crusades)
Religion - Holy Wars (fighting with the belief that God is on your side eg Jihad)
Altruism - to aid an allied country
Get rid of a dictator
Civil rights - citizens rebel
Terrorism - protect the people and eradicate terror
Is it ever right to go to War?
Self Defence
Protecting allied countries - If the attacker is a threat to other countries around it (“love your neighbour”)
Innocent lives taken
To defend innocent people
Why are pacifists against WMD
Kills innocent and destroys land
No proportionality
What is the Cost of war?
Those who lose education - impacts current and future generations
Loss of life - soldiers family’s plunged into poverty
Nature - destruction of land, fore station and farm land
Church views on War
Violent actions will have the outcome of violence -“Those who live by the sword, die by the sword”
“War will come to an end, in the perfect kingdom of God”
Arguments for Nuclear weapons
The possession of nuclear weapons has kept the major world powers from coming to war since 1955. This is due to fear of what might happen - the term that describes this is ‘mutually assured destruction’.
It is preferable for the major powers to have these bombs for deterrence than for an unstable dictator to use them in war.
Arguments against Nuclear Weapons
Their destructive power is immense and long lasting. Even countries that have nothing to do with the war will be badly affected. Some people estimate that a small nuclear war could wipe out human life on Earth.
They are very costly to develop and maintain. The money could be spent on raising everybody’s quality of life.
There is no effective protection against them, nor can people control who has access to them.
What is absolute, conditional and selective pacifism
Absolute- under NO circumstances is war ever acceptable
Conditional pacifism- war may be less bad than the alternative though, against war in principle
Selective pacifism- reject specific types of war (eg nuclear, chemical and biological)
