-snip
Wesley Clark is probably the closest thing to a pacifist that I could ever hope to have elected. Now, I hear you already, “Chuck, you’re crazy! Clark is surely a man who embraces the just war theory. He is, after all, a retired general.”
Well, that’s where some insights from a friend of mine come into play. He reminded me that, though Just War Theorists and Christian Pacifists are often viewed as opposites, these two positions are actually united against those who see war as just another foreign policy strategy to be deployed whenever it seems convenient. It is worth noting the Clark has consistently called into question the war in Iraq and has repeatedly been correct in his predictions about how things would unfold. As I reflected on this fact coupled with the behind the scenes reports of the extent to which other military experts had opposed the war, it hit me that we are at a place where the military leaders are much more cautious in their use of military force than the civilian leadership. It seems that the actual experience of seeing first hand the killing of troops that one has ordered into war has a sobering effect. It creates a genuine hatred for war that gives a much more concrete reality to the words of the Just War Theory “only as a last resort.”
We live in a culture where candidates feel they must avoid “looking weak.” So, they posture and threaten and saber rattle so as to assure an anxious constituency that they can be trusted to “leave all options on the table” and that they are willing to use them all, “including war,” in order to protect us. Interesting, isn’t it? We have come to the point that our many within our military leadership are actually less anxious to use the military than our political leaders who feel the need to “be tough.” Perhaps, if they had Clark’s experiences, they would be much more cautious in their willing to put troops in harms way. But, as I noted at the outset, these are just a bunch of crazy ruminations…..
