The Moral Clarity of War

Boy-wonder progressives Ezra Klein & Matthew Yglesias have contributed an item to the Cole/Goldberg debate...well actually the intellectual massacre of the former over the doughy "squeeshy, pop-culture devouring because mommy ignores him" pantload.

Ezra says this:

The central point is whether young, healthy guys who advocate war are morally compelled to fight in it. The consensus is so long as we have a capable, volunteer army, no. I agree with that.

Glimmer Twin Yglesias says:

It's one thing, in other words, to let others serve in your stead when a sufficient number of others are willing to do so. It's another thing entirely to let others be conscripted to serve in your place (as George W. Bush, Tom DeLay, and Dick Cheney all did during Vietnam) during a war you support, or to stand aside while it becomes clear that there aren't a sufficient number of volunteers to get the job done.

So in essence you can support a war and as long as there are enough volunteers to go fight it, you're morally okay if you stay home and cheer for 'em.

To which I say, in a 19th century manner...

BALDERDASH


You know it is nice to live in a superpower where we can get to pick and choose wars because no other organized group can really nob on us too much, and certainly not a another nation-state.

But you know, I don't know about the rest of you humans, but after all these centuries, I think this needs to be re-emphasized,

WAR FUCKING SUCKS, ITS AN EVIL THING OKAY...ALWAYS A LAST RESORT,

Forgive me for attempting to take the high road of arguing for progress over war.

So, here is the clear and utterly logical point that I think all societies, especially the top dog (by a long shot), should follow.

YOU ONLY GO TO WAR IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO PUT YOUR OWN ASS ON THE LINE.

PERIOD, END OF STORY.

Now for some in their military years this adds a special level of significance to the matter, maybe if you would have to get your ass on the firing line, it might me a little harder to go to war.

To which I would say, yes that is exactly the point!

If the above standard were adhered to, we would have spared ourselves a few wars, including the current one.

It's also the ultimate in personal responsibility. You would think the Republicans would love it, but nope they like the primal urges more, the urges of hatred and blowing shit up. I am amazed sometimes that Bush does not request that Congress give him a big-ass magnifying glass so he can use it to watch some alleged "evildoers" burn up.

I know that the world would be a shitload better if the Cole Rule, as opposed to the Glimmer Twins' rule, were actually followed.