sheyboerThanks for your response.
I would agree that a state does not have the authority to force people to personally fight in a war, but our military is voluntary so no problem there. However, your point that people are forced to pay for it is well taken, but Constitutionally the federal gov’t does have the authority to use tax dollars for war whether everyone likes it or not.
No preemptive attacks? Even if you know the person/country is in the act of striking? If someone were about to hit me, i don’t think it would be unethical for me to attack first; especially if I think there was no way I would be able to defend myself without preemptively striking.
War is messy, but I don’t think it’s that simple. In our hypothetical situation people are oppressed and killed if we do nothing and, if we do intervene, it is likely that some civilians will be accidentally killed. So isn’t the question which scenario has the least bad outcome? How to decide if intervening will be more just than not is another matter, but just the same, sometimes not doing anything would be worse.
Your points about taxation and inflation to pay for the war are also well taken.
So, what would be a just war fought by a state’s army and funded via taxation? Based on your previous response, i would guess none. But what if the U.S. was invaded?