[thechat] When is it time for war?

[Bill Haenel]

With all this talk of war here on thechat and elsewhere all around me,
and an actual war going on out there, I find myself asking a lot of
questions. Questions I don't normally consider. I have my own answers to
many of them, but there's one I can't seem to find a solid answer for:

When is war justified?

Is it important to only wage war as a matter of self-defense, or is it
okay to attack just because a nation believes it is in danger of being
attacked? Are there other circumstances under which war is okay? What is
worth defending and what is worth attacking for? When is it necessary to
stand down and hope for the best and when is it necessary to discuss and
apologize?

I know this seems like a leading question, but I'm seriously interested
in hearing others' opinions. If I don't get it here, I'll probably take
the discussion elsewhere, so beware if you're on any of the lists that I
am! ;)

BH