Book Review: Just War, Lasting Peace

    Thanks to Steve, I’ve just finished reading Just War, Lasting Peace: What Christian Traditions Can Teach Us. This book is the result of a one-day invitational forum on the applicability of the Just War tradition to the modern world. As readers of this blog know, I’ve been arguing for some time  that the church is failing to adapt its teaching to the ever changing nature of warfare and armed violence. I’m glad to find out that I’m at least partially wrong about this.

    The book, edited by John Kleiderer, Paula Mineart, and Mark Mossa presents a comprehensive overview of the just war tradition, how it has evolved, and what if might offer to policy makers today. First, while all of the sections are valuable, I will mention some particularly meaningful points. Second, the authors failed to take into account the recent rapid decline in warfare Third, they should have, in my opinion, have expanded on the meaning of Von Clausewitz’s famous dictum on war and politics. Fourth, the book might have added some on the context for the gospel injunction to turn the other cheek.(Mt. 5:38-48.) Fifth, there are other sources that an interested reader might also want to investigate.

    First, chapter five, “Effective ways to fight Terrorism While Retaining Our Values", by Catholic University’s Maryann Cusimano Love has a number of useful suggestions and comes to grips with the realities of countering forces unconstrained by the Just war tradition. I particularly like her call to develop the just war tradition and to discover means of post conflict reconstruction and restoration. The church will be of little use to policymakers if it waits until a conflict is immanent and then attempts to apply a tradition that fails to take the changing nature of armed violence into account.

    Second, warfare has been declining over the past twenty five years, both in the number of major wars and in the number of deaths due to war. Andrew Mack, former director of the Strategic Planning Unit in the executive office of U.N. Secretary General writes 

By 2003, there were 40 percent fewer conflicts than in 1992. The deadliest conflicts -- those with 1,000 or more battle-deaths -- fell by some 80 percent. The number of genocides and other mass slaughters of civilians also dropped by 80 percent, while core human rights abuses have declined in five out of six regions of the developing world since the mid-1990s. International terrorism is the only type of political violence that has increased. Although the death toll has jumped sharply over the past three years, terrorists kill only a fraction of the number who die in wars.

    Third, the book cites, as many do, von Clausewitz’s famous dictum that “war is the continuation of politics by other means.” In reading von Clausewitz, one should remember that he is descriptive, not prescriptive. He is a keen observer of what is, not a prophet for what should be. His observation was intended to heighten the importance of the political objective. With a clear political objective, a war might be found to be just. Without it, it is almost impossible for a war to meet just war criteria. Here are a few quotes from von C on this point:

It is of course well known that the only source of war is politics -- the intercourse of governments and peoples. . . .  We maintain . . . that war is simply a continuation of political intercourse, with the addition of other means.

- "If war is part of policy, policy will determine its character.  As policy becomes more ambitious and vigorous, so will war, and this may reach the point where war attains its absolute form. . . .  Policy is the guiding intelligence and war only the instrument, not vice versa."

"No major proposal required for war can be worked out in ignorance of political factors. . . . [Likewise,] if war is to be fully consonant with political objectives, and policy suited to the means available for war, . . . the only sound expedient is to make the commander-in-chief a member of the cabinet."
…
“No one starts a war--or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so--without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it.” (Makes a similar statement in Book 1, Chapter 1)

(If you want a good introduction, try Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Michael Howard)

    Fourth, the context to the gospel injunction to “turn the other cheek” changes its meaning. The context is directed to the behavior of an individual, not a group or a nation. Methodist scripture scholar Walter Wink, adds some background. When Jesus was talking about being struck on the cheek, He was referring to a backhanded slap with the right hand. This is the kind of blow a superior would direct at a subordinate, as if to say “you are not important enough for me even to bother hitting you with a proper blow.” (I am a martial arts student. I can break boards with a reverse strike. I would never try it with an open handed slap with the back of my hand.) Turning the other cheek is a sound approach for this reason: a second slap would have to be done with the left hand. This would have been impossible – in Semitic society the left hand was used only for unclean tasks. By turning the other cheek, one is accepting a reprimand – and refusing to be further humiliated. The success of this tactic depends on the superior being constrained by a moral code. This is a very calculated and effective form of non-violent resistance. It may be a mistake to apply it to a situation in which the attacker intends to do lethal harm.

    Fifth, as a retired intelligence analyst and civilian graduate of the US Army War College, I had a third-row seat and a bit part in the drama of the end of the cold war. From this vantage point I followed national strategy discussions and the Church’s evolving teaching on Just War as applied to nuclear questions. From my former insider’s point of view, I have the distinct impression that military scholars and ethicists do good job of listening to church leaders. Theologians and officials in the Catholic Church, on the other hand, seem to pay little attention to the writings and output of the military. If this issue is of concern, readers would do well to consult the International Military Ethics  Symposium. of the Joint Services Commission on Professional Ethics (JSCOPE)

NOTE: this post linked with Beltway Traffic Jam for 06/19/2006

Comments

[Steve Bogner]

Herb, I've barely cracked the book and you're all done and posting a serious book review of it! Looks like I have some good material to look forward to.