Add new comment

There are defensive and even disabling choices that do not inflict near the same harm but that is not what war has ever been. War involves death. Reacting to murder with murder is fighting fire with fire, it only expands and expounds the incorrectness of virtue. Ok, that's a bit extreme. The point is you can respond to a punch with a punch, a kick or learn "the art of fighting withou fighting" (I left the t out because Bruce did and I've quoted it many times.) War is fighting and I'm not saying it doesn't have a place. What I am saying is that there are other ways to resolve international conflicts that aren't as costly to human life and involves much less to possibly no collateral damage.
Fighting fire with fire is a "being bad" example in the Bible but for some reason society seems to think "it's in the Bible so that's what you're supposed to do." Fire doesn't beat fire, it only expands it, how can that be misunderstood? Escalation is also a common response in conflict thinking, but escalation of conflict by definition makes things worse. In your personal dealings does outdoing the slights you perceive end with a better outcome than trying to diffuse? Trying to understand or compromise? Ever? should it in a world view? Asking a question is better than assuming the answer, proclaiming the others intentions and attacking, but that's not as fun to watch on TV.
Saving people from harm to come is nearly impossible. Consider how police have to respond to threats refered to them of a person in fear of someone else. In most situations they can only suggest a restraining order. It may seem unjust that they have to wait for harm to actually be done in most cases before they can act, but wouldn't it be similarly unjust to penalize someone for something they haven't done or for someone else's perception? I'm certain there's situations that should be more clear of a threat, but still what can you do. They can shoot when the gun is pointed at them, you can throw a punch if one is thrown at you because that's self defense. Police shooting someone who has a gun pointed at them is viewed with much more understanding than them shooting someone who has a gun pointed at someone else. Is that not how it should be?