General Discussion

Bernie is right of course, that we must take care of every person that we put into battle, regardless of whether the cause is just or not. That must be a given.

But we should be discussing what are just wars. I don't think anybody would deny that WWII was a just war. And there are certainly tactical missions that are just. Most people would agree the mission to try to free the Iranian hostages was just, as was the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Was Kosovo just? Probably. VIetnam? No way.

What about Iraq and Afghanistan? There might have been some just causes somewhere in there, but not for the KIND of war we fought. And Ukraine is showing that the traditional kinetic confrontations are not the way to fight wars in the 21st Century. We must lead a change where it is possible to question whether actions are just while still honoring every soldier who finds himself or herself on the business end of orders.

One of the 14 points of fascism is

We need to drive a change where veterans are encouraged to join in a conversation about the right use of force. Active duty soldiers must follow legal orders, or else you don't have an effective organization. But once retired, we need to encourage an ethos that says the best way to honor every soldier is to make sure they are only asked to put themselves in harm's way when the cause is just. and the strategy is sound.