Assignment 9-- Daniel Mendoza Vasquez

This is an awfully complicated and philosophical topic and I doubt I can do it justice. Now, war is really a consequence of hate and anger, rarely just a result of careful evaluation and deliberation. These two emotions are inevitable parts of humanity, however unwarranted or illogical they are sometimes, and therefore war is just as inevitable. I am of the belief that war should be avoided at all costs, but war is never a one-sided issue. A nation or group can avoid conflict and try to be diplomatic all they want, but if the other side is hellbent on attacking them, they will. And if they just sit there and let themselves be overwhelmed, then all the bloodshed trying to be avoided through negotiations will still occur. World War II is a classic example of this: Hitler weaponized and spread his prejudice among the German population to promote a war based on the delusion that they were the superior race. If the British had neglected to get involved, the world would look very different today. So no, war is never morally right, but self-preservation takes precedence when an aggressor has already neglected to abide by morality. I will say though, that all of the wars the United States has engaged in recent history have been motivated by special interests and unnecessary. For example, the invasion of Iraq was sold as retaliation for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and on the false narrative of Saddam Hussein stocking weapons of mass destruction. In reality, it had close connections to oil fields and Dick Cheney’s finances, as well as neoconservatism that exceeded violent regime change. As a whole, however, it is truly a circumstantial discussion.