http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0182.html

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/Philosophers/Augustine/augustine_justwar.html

http://ocw.nd.edu/peace-studies/islamic-ethics-of-war-and-peace/lectures/islamic-just-war-theory-updated

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/23511

A Declaration of War by Congress is a component of Just War Theory – not the end all…be all, but a component nonetheless. For example, I believe a nation such as Israel has the absolute right, no other’s approval required, to defend itself against Iran and that includes preemptive action since Iran’s leaders have openly stated it wants Israel vaporized and Jews murdered / exterminated.

The legal community in the U.S. has some of this community calling for THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE, i.e. the movie, MINORITY REPORT (I do not agree with the movie’s premise…). However, it begs the question: Knowing what is known now about SOUTH AFRICA and the Boer’s situation as well as crime in general there, what action would you, dear readers, have taken when the power to take the action was still with you to exert?

Of course, at least we are not trying to turn the moon into a democracy and the lunies are not shooting back!

Empathy for women (what, no induced morning nausea?), daisies (10 day immersion in Queer Nation philosophy and bath house etiquette?), muslims (confused??? – if everything is allah’s will why isn’t pissing towards Mecca and burning qurans?), and gimps (I have no idea) – the new ‘Be All You Can Be’ campaign?

I hope we do not desire to be, intend to act like, or, experience the same fate as Rome. But, as a society that, for the most part, highly values human life, what should we, as a nation do, if anything, when faced with these realities:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9113394/Killing-babies-no-different-from-abortion-experts-say.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6EnFu3NHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6EnFu3NHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbkEahO161U&feature=related

We cannot police the world because we cannot even police places as small as Haiti or even Detroit. But what is the moral, ethical, humane way to deal with things that are antithetical to Western / American mores and culture? Perhaps it will evolve into private Magnificent Seven types of groups helping those who wish to be saved from their primitive cultures?

I agree with Rep Col Allen West who reprimanded those who pissed on the dead bodies…I understand the feeling these soldiers had, but they had a responsibility to act professionally.

The Qur’an burning was not an event over which gloating about it has been reported. It happened, but I think POTUS made too much of it. The long & short of it is we are dealing with primitive cultures ruled by a rigid theocratic system and we, simply, must leave them to their own self-inflicted fates and move forward with advancing our state of affairs.

As for the Quran, a blogger I don’t usually like did post a very eloquent response to the sensitive souls bothered by the burning of it: a large picture of Homer Simpson with his derrier facing the screen, and the words “KISS MY ASS!” aptly written underneath it. [You call that eloquent?!]

That is a darn good idea. As much as I dislike them and do not want to live among them, I have to respect their fighting spirit and their refusal to be cowed. Forty thousand of these guys, armed only with assault rifles and RPGs, have faced down the supposedly greatest military force in history with all the latest, greatest weaponry at its disposal.

Having served in the military, I would never have imagined anything like those empathy bellies. I don’t think anyone was threatened with a firing squad for not donning them. Which either means that our troops’ discipline is so high they’d follow any order without hesitation, or they are so filled with fear that a school marm can exercise total control over them; you choose the answer to that.