Questions About the Morality of War

The Pope was a complex man. He refused to endorse the 1991 Gulf War because he felt diplomatic options had not been exhausted. Yet he also insisted: "I am not a pacifist." He was 18 or 19 when the Nazis goose-stepped into Poland. He spent many years under Communism. He knew the price that a people could pay under the yoke of a totalitarian regime.
Still he did not give sanction to the current war in Iraq. In Dec 2002 he said, "War has never been and never will be an appropriate way to solve problems between nations!"
At the Vatican there are some guys called the Swiss Guards. They provide security for the Vatican and the Pope. They are soldiers. They maintain order by the threat of violence. They carry the finest small weaponry that money can buy. They are trained to instantly and efficiently subdue individuals that act to endanger the Pope. Think of it as a person on person "war."

The Pope could not be a pacifist and maintain his credibility. He had agents in his service that use violence to preempt violence. The Pope also could not frivolously take sides between nations and cultures. He resisted the temptation to wade into the fray and his appeal was enhanced by the use of such a triangulation strategy. If he consistently appeared to be siding with the "west" he would have lost his ability to reach across gaps. Because of his positions, our enemies could not accuse him of being our puppet, but most of the time, he was there for us when we were clearly on the high moral ground. He made it clear that violence should be a last resort. But when it was time to stand for righteousness, it was time. The Old Testament contains this lesson. I'm guessing that's where he learned it.

There's an interesting post over at SondraK about the morality of the Iraq war. The left continues to insist that the war in Iraq was immoral. If that is the case, Saddam is wrongfully imprisoned and needs to be restored to his office. Is that what the left is saying?

How many Iraqi's died by Saddam's hand between 1991 and 2003? How many died by American action since the beginning Mar 2003? And how many have been killed by insurgent and terrorist action? What would have been the strategy to save the most lives?

I will know we are in the midst of rational dialogue when I hear the left stop complaining about the immorality of the Iraq War. I think it's always moral to save innocent lives. If we hadn't intervened, Saddam and his sons would still be killing. We don't let murderers continue killing just because they threaten to shoot the police and the Swiss Guards don't let people threaten the Pope. We judiciously use violence to control threats.

It's moral to save innocent lives even if you have to kill a lesser amount to save the greater amount. It's always moral, but it isn't always practical.

Make no mistake, War is the Answer -- sometimes. And even the Pope knew it, but his politics are not our politics and we Americans would do well to remember that.