Thursday, August 10, 2017

Just War and North Korea

President Trump has laid down the gauntlet with North Korea saying that if the North Koreans continue to make threats we, the United States, would unleash a "fire and fury such has never been seen in the world." This may just be Trump being Trump and exaggerating, but what if he means it? What if we will send a volley of nuclear weapons upon North Korea if they continue to threaten us? That is the only "fire and fury" that the world has not yet seen. We have seen firebombing of entire German cities in World War II in addition to the use of nuclear weapons against Japan.

The question for Catholics is, how does war with Korea measure up against the just war theory of St. Thomas Aquinas. Let's look at it.

The just war theory has two parts: "jus ad bellum" - justification for the war, and "jus in bello" - how the is conducted.

JUS AD BELLUM - Justification for going to war.

The war must a last resort. All other options must have failed or been proven to be ineffective. At this point it certainly is not the last resort. This was one of the issues that resulted in then Cardinal Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (later Pope Benedict XVI), to declare the Iraq war unjust in 2003. It was not a last resort war.

The war must be declared by a legitimate authority. One would assume this would be the case.

There must be a just cause. This would be debated on the reason for war. Is it just to be seen as being bold and powerful? That would not do. Would it be to strengthen a failing administration? Certainly not. Just cause amounts to an attack from an unjust aggressor. This is really the bench mark. A pre-emptive strike would not be a just cause. This is the other reason Cardinal Ratzinger declared the Iraq war to be unjust even before it began. There was no attack by an unjust aggressor. Vengeance is not a just cause.

Probability of success.  There must be real probability that the war will be successful in creating a peace that would exceed the peace that existed before the war.

JUS IN BELLO - Conducting the war in just manner.

Proportionality. The war must not create evils and disorders greater than the evil to be eliminated. Under this criterion, the Church is clearly stated: "Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation." (Gaudium et Spes: Second Vatican Council) This was meant to be a clear condemnation of the use of nuclear weapons. The Catechism further explains: "A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons - especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons - to commit such crimes." (CCC #2314) Nuclear, biological and chemical weapons are always a crime against humanity and rightfully condemned.  The use of nuclear weapons by one nation does not justify the use of nuclear weapons by another nation. The use of nuclear weapons because another nations has threatened to use them is beyond criminal. The annihilation of an entire country destroys the very concept of proportionality.

Distinction must be made between civilians and combatants. In modern warfare, this is this criterion that I believe renders almost all modern warfare as unjust.

One should remember that all these criteria must be met without question.  You cannot satisfy some or one or two and still have a just war. Violation of one of the criteria in the least renders the war unjust.

Looking at these criteria, for the United States to attack North Korea because of a threat to attack us would be unjust, Jus ad bellum.
For the US to use nuclear weapons at any point would render the war unjust, Jus in bello. This would be true if "fire and fury" means destroying the entire nation of North Korea with its population.




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