War Sucks, What is it Good For?

Speakers
Peter Jaworski,

Release Date
December 10, 2015

Topic

History
Description

War Sucks, What is it Good For? Creating peace, spreading democracy, boosting the economy? Here’s the answer: nothing. Our natural inclination is to think about war in the abstract. And while there may be good reasons to go to war, those reasons are few and far between. The moral case for war requires much more than a vague worry.
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Liberty 101 (program): Explore the fundamental principles for a free and prosperous society hosted and presented by three outstanding faculty: Prof. Peter Jaworski from Georgetown University, Prof. Diana Thomas from Creighton University, and Prof. Christopher Koopman from George Mason University
Debate: Is War Ever Justified? (video): Professors Bryan Caplan and Jan Ting debate justifications for military intervention.

You run in three millimeters he got four individuals. Got a whole bunch of guys right there.
>> Okay pop quiz. War, what is it good for? Creating peace, spreading democracy, boosting the economy? Here’s the answer, nothing. Say it again y’all. Now look, our natural inclination is to think about war in the abstract.
We talk about war as if it’s simply like a policy option that the nation uses in order to solve the problem. But the truth about wars is much more grim. If you have any family or friends who have been to war, you know exactly what I mean. Wars are traumatic, chaotic events.
All they leave is death and destruction in their wake. And they make the citizens of the country going to war, they make them nervous and they make them fearful. Of course there may be good reasons to go to war, but libertarians think that those reasons are so few and far between and that the moral case for war requires so much more than a vague worry.
Now more important, even just wars have unintended consequences. And they may create worse problems than the ones you set out to fix. And the consequences of wars that are difficult, if not impossible, to foresee. Wars may seem noble because of the dangers and the drama involved. And our governments choose to valorize generals and politicians with statues.
Rather than the artists, academics, plumbers, electricians, and entrepreneurs, who actually make rather than smash things and promote our prosperity. It is peace that underpins real economic prosperity. Two countries that trade extensively with one another are less likely to go to war because they don’t wanna disrupt the benefits that each country is gaining from trade.
This is the libertarian view. It tells us, in short, that war should be avoided.


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