Vietnam War Chapter Summary

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Walzer describes several issues about just wars and calls them a criticism throughout. The first one he explains that caught my attention is the way war is defended. Walzer also talks about those moralizing war are just making it easier to fight. The access to a right to combat without a fight is only making it easier. The military has found this way to justify war and made it seem ok to send people to war.
Just war also frames war in the wrong way and It focuses on a limited conflict. There are long term conflicts to think about before rallying up and setting for battle. “The use of military force to stop the killing in Rwanda would have been, in my view, a just war” (Walzer, Pg. xi). Walzer describes the use of military forces being avoided if possible, but used if necessary. I agree with Walzer that there are times our troops can be and should be used, but there are limits. We have recently over the …show more content…

3. Walzer, Ch. 1: What role did the Vietnam War play in the "triumph" of just war theory? According to Walzer, what are the two additional issues that need to be addressed in just war debates?

The Vietnam War gave us the moral values of war and the ability to critique special forces. Ultimately we lost this war and we gained this this theory. “And here, I think, is the deepest cause of the of the theory’s contemporary triumph: there are now reasons of state for fighting justly” (Walzer, Pg.9). We gained a justification for fighting and not just chaos fighting.
Changing Aztecs to Christians was not a just cause war, neither was taking the gold of the Americans or enslaving them. Falling into the immoral practices is really what gave war all the bad reputation. Enslaving people and forcing religion on countries. This constant need to defend is what is constantly justifying a bigger and bigger

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