Principles to Fight

Many people throughout the world do not favor war. Does anyone want to fight for any given reason? Some people may believe this idea supports the idea of pacifism, which is that idea that war is unjustifiable in any circumstance. Other’s may believe it is just being “realistic,” meaning thinking about the situation clearly and concisely.

Fox Conner, a man who was alive from 1874 until 1951 and endure the aftereffects of the Civil War and was alive during both World Wars, shared his thoughts on the difference between pacifism and realism. He believed that people should “never fight unless you have to, never fight alone, and never fight for a long time.” With these beliefs, was he being realistic or was he being a pacifist based on history with war? Are all wars fought because they “have to?” Are all wars fought with a group of people? Are all wars fought for a short amount of time?

Relating back to history, the Civil War specifically was fought due to the differing opinions on slavery, was fought alone, and was fought for a long time. Connecting to Conner’s thoughts, this specific was not justifiable as it did not check off each box. 

In modern day, this concept can still be relevant to the military and those with strong opinions on war. Based on the current events involving the Trump Administration and foreign countries – does the United States have to fight? Does the United States have allies to support us in a potential war? Last but not least, how long will this fight be drawn out to?

Reference: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-forgotten-realist-soldier-who-warned-against-forever-war/