created Monday, 2014-06-09 T 15:39:15Z
updated Tuesday, 2014-06-10 T 03:52:53Z
Maybe, just maybe, war can be a rational response to an existential threat. Maybe. I'm sure it's inappropriate in any other situation.
Let's look at when the USA goes to war. Just a sampling.
| situation | existential? | war? | what we call it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fascism, Anti-semitism | maybe | yes | World War 2 |
| Russia | no | yes | Cold War |
| Korean civil war | no | yes | Korean War |
| communism civil war | no | yes | Vietnam |
| poverty | maybe | yes | War on Poverty |
| drugs | no | yes | War on Drugs |
| terrorism | no | yes | Homeland Security |
| Afghanistan | no | yes | revenge for 9/11 |
| Iraq | no | yes | revenge for 9/11 |
| climage change | yes | no |
Excercise for the reader: Why would the USA go to war so often if not to defend itself from existential crises? (Keep your answer to yourself, or tell someone else. I'm not actually asking you.)
End.