Customer Reviews

The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-war Legacy (Facets Series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking the Just-War Legacy"

Daniel Maguire, Professor of Moral Theological Ethics at Marquette University, aims "to challenge the seductive power of war that so grips and hobbles our imaginations." A major cause, he argues, is "Just-war" Theory. Its original purpose -- to limit, control, and even avoid warfare -- now is commonly subverted to justify and "baptize" it. The burden of proof intended to rest upon the warrior now rests upon the conscientious objector.

Maguire has the gift of truth-telling in such a way that you can see. Noting how we have sanitized the idea of war, Maguire observes: "War can even be a form of armchair spectator entertainment. It is acceptable for people to become 'Civil War buffs,' or 'Revolutionary War buffs.' If people were to announce themselves as 'prostitution buffs' or 'necrophilia buffs,' their perverted absorption in such human disasters would raise eyebrows."

Rightly used, Just-war theory would insist that international force be deployed only "in a community context with legal and internationally enforceable restrictions comparable to the restraints we put upon our police." [italics in original]

Maguire has hope: "It is in us to outgrow war. The formula is easy enough: put your main trust in justice, not weapons, trust life-power more than kill-power, specialize in diplomacy and imagination, not bludgeoning." Grounds for hope abound: "Military power, even 'superpower' military power, is being embarrassed [by its failure to assure peace], and examples of successful nonviolent modes of resistance are multiplying."

Maguire calls us to "the hard work of prophetic citizenry," particularly during times like post-9/11, when "a White House spokesman noted that the president 'considers any opposition to his policies to be no less than an act of treason.' "

Excellent for study groups: a good read, thoroughly documented in history and scriptures, inexpensive, and concise -- eighty-nine 4 x 7-inch packed and provocative pages.

This book is very small and short (89 pgs), but that's all it needs to be. Daniel C. Maguire does a great job of outlining the hypocrisy of our modern, Western-world view of Just-war. While Maguire brings up the fact that early Christians were entirely pacifist, the book is less about religion, and more about the logic behind Just-war theory. And he's not advocating extreme pacifism at all costs. On the contrary, he is entirely behind the notion of defensive force...but only by strict criteria:

Criterion 1. Just Cause: "The only just cause is defense against unjust attack."

Criterion 2. Declaration by Competent Authority: Declaration of war can only be administered by a democratically elected body of government (i.e. Congress). "Police" actions dictated by the President alone is not Competent Authority because it may not truly represent the will of the people and is seldom up for debate.

Criterion 3. Right Intention: "Right intention: insists that the "just cause" you allege for going to war is really why you are going to war. In other words, the just cause must truly be just and not just a mask for oil or conquering.

Criterion 4. The Principle of Discrimination and Noncombatant Immunity: essentially this means - you cannot intentionally target civilians in war. In the modern era, however, this is very difficult since terrorists/guerillas are merged within the population. Therefore, if you cannot conduct war against terrorists/guerillas without killing civilians, then your war does not fit this criterion and must be abandoned.

Criterion 5. Last Resort: War must be a last resort. However, the US "defense" budget is the largest funded budget we have. Our wallet tells us our hearts go to war before any other options first.

Criterion 6. The Principle of Proportionality: The violence of war must do more good than harm. But as weapons grow in power, this option is becoming less and less viable.

In summary, Maguire points out the curious role our Western world is in: when going to war, why is the burden of proof on the pacifist when the burden of proof should be on the ones calling for war? In other words, why are the hawks given plenty of room to rally the country for their cause when the doves are silenced and looked down upon? Shouldn't this be the other way around? Shouldn't the hawks always be the minority and have the burden of proof to go to war entirely on their shoulders? Why must the doves fight so hard to stop the war machine when war should always be the final option?

This is an excellent presentation on the subject of the "just war" theory and how it has been consistently violated in the Iraq war. Though the subject could easily become complex and scholarly, the author makes it highly readable for anyone.

"Nonviolent resistance takes a good deal of imagination. Violence, does not: even a raging bull can achieve it."

Dr. Daniel C. Maguire's incredibly moving book, The Horrors We Bless: Rethinking thinking the Just-war Legacy, provides a scathing look at America's traditional warmongering foreign policy, as well as the concept of war as a whole. He critically challenges the idea that war can ever be "just," or righteous, and asks why America seems to love war so much. While Dr. Maguire is a staunch Jesuit Catholic priest, and a professor of Christian Ethics at Marquette University, he does not intend for this to be a religious study or evaluation of the issues of just war. Dr. Maguire wisely keeps religion somewhat in the background of this book to appeal to a larger audience of non-Christians and Christians alike. In doing so, he frames his arguments in a way that people of all faiths can appreciate and come to understand the inherent injustice of the institution of war as a whole. He is almost screaming, "Wake up, America, and realize where your priorities currently lie, and how skewed they are!"

Dr. Maguire informs readers that, "We spend around ten thousand dollars a second on military kill-power in the United States while states go bankrupt and schools close early for lack of funds." This is a travesty that will ultimately lead to our destruction, and too many Americans are oblivious to the sheer magnitude of the problem, believe the lies told by our war-loving government, or just do not care. He believes that through education, the people could find creative and alternative routes to war, and he shows that by reducing our extraordinary war spending, we could provide that education to every American citizen, much as the Montgomery GI Bill does for our military veterans now.

Dr. Maguire focuses so strongly on the need for education, in fact, that he claims, "...war requires that we dumb down so that we do not have to face what it is that we are doing." Indeed, even mongrels will fight to the death over just about anything. Are we no better than beasts? Why can our elected leaders, who are supposedly considered well educated, not come up with peaceful ways of resolving conflict? Why are we so quick to go to war before exhausting all other means?

There are many stories in which soldiers, upon realizing that their enemies are human, lost the will to do them harm. Dr. Maguire shares two of these occurrences, but they are not at all uncommon. This rang very true with me, as a 10-year veteran non-combatant. In 2007, I was a Navy Corpsman stationed in Guantánamo Bay, charged with the duty of providing medical care for the detainees in the controversial camp. Upon my arrival, I was a gung ho "tainer" hating patriot, but in my day-to-day dealings with my enemies, I found most of them to be quite human, resigned to their fates (after all, most of them had been in detainment for five years or more by this point). The majority of them were compliant men who joked, laughed, sang, and prayed; just like me, only their language, songs, and god were different. Everything I knew told me to hate them, but except for those throwing feces and other bodily fluids at the guards, I could not. They were still my fellow man, and still demanded my compassion, not so much for who they were, but for who I was (am). When I departed for GTMO, I was proud to serve, planning a 20-year naval career. It only took six months on the island to discover that I did not believe the lies I had been fed. I no longer believed in what I was doing, and as soon as my contract was up, I made for two doors: the exit from the navy, and the entrance into college. Within my first semester, I came to believe exactly what Dr. Maguire is preaching, that through education, we can find peace, as well as ways to support our beliefs logically; not to mention, education provides a route to better, happier personal lives. The challenge is educating the masses, which again, Dr. Maguire argues we have the means to do, so long as we stop wasteful military spending.

It is the state which continues this disgusting, pound-foolishness with our tax dollars, mostly without our consent; which, as Dr. Maguire points out, forces taxpayers to be active contributors to a war in which they may or may not believe. He tells us, citing Matthew, that "our treasure (budget) shows where our heart is," then describes the awe-inspiring nuclear aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, and her battle group. She (the endearing way we address our warships) cost taxpayers about $4.5 billion to build, and half a million dollars PER DAY to operate until her decommission in 2009. These numbers do not include the costs of the other at least seven ships that always traveled with her. Decommissioning of a ship, however, does not in any way mean a reduction of arms. She was replaced by the U.S.S. George Washington, another $4.5 million dollar waste. Dr. Maguire points out that "The United States has thirteen of these carrier battle groups," and that; "No other country has even one."

I think Dr. Maguire seems very persuasive in his arguments, even to the warmonger, by his downplay of war as a vulgar institution for "dumb" people. He easily shows that war is dumb; and therefore, logic would dictate that the supporters of war are also dumb. Since I doubt that anyone would choose to be dumb, I think that those who read his book would be compelled to agree with him... Or feel a personal conviction that angers them, in which case they might dumbly lash out.

Dr. Maguire shows readers that war is an archaic practice, and that even the "just-war" theory no longer applies in today's nuclear arms world. No matter how precise our bombs are, innocents will still be hurt and killed, which according to the "just-war" theory, is absolutely unacceptable. Dr. Maguire points out that over 90 percent of casualties in today's wars (yes, plural) are innocents. Who are the terrorists here anyway?

Dr. Maguire argues that if we would turn our aggressive offensive posture into a passionately humanitarian one, and spent our (borrowed) money on helping impoverished people, instead of waging wars against them, we would not be hated throughout the world, as we are today. He gives the statistics for which countries are providing aid, and how much; and sadly, America, while the richest, provides the least amount of foreign aid. It's no wonder why we are so hated. If we become known for our charity and kindness throughout the world, we will not need to keep weapons of mass destruction, nor our military posture, because we will not need to fear attack. Even dogs are smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds.

The Horrors We Bless was an eye-opening book for me. I knew I was on the side of pacifism and that our country has done, and is doing some horrible things militarily, but I did not know to what extent. I am sure that this ignorance is not unique. We need to wake up, America, and realize that there are other, better, more ethical ways. We need to hold our leaders to seeking out those ways in which conflicts can be settled peacefully. Dr. Maguire's book is a starting off point to actually becoming a great country, instead of just claiming to be one, but it is by no means a final word. Much more work will have to be done in the way of peace, but at least he gives us direction. Without a doubt, this book should be required reading for each and every American, but as that is quite unlikely, we can at least hope that copies fall into the hands of our country's decision makers, and that they use them for more than paperweights.

The author is educated far beyond his intelligence. When a father of two gorgeous little children fires out his window at people, don't be surprised if the retaliation hits his family members. Dah! When killers hide under their mother's skirt, you can't call foul if mom gets hurt in the shuffle.