Trump may have sparked WWIII with his attempts to control Venezuela and impress those who think he needs to look strong and needs to be a winner. You know, like the bully on the block, beating up the skinny little kid to impress everyone. A nuclear war is much worse than previous world wars.

I would hope actually that there would be a philosophical debate about war in this forum. Too easily it becomes related to current events and ongoing wars. And this is already this OP is found the lounge, not in "ethics" or in "political philosophy".

The real problem is that we have been learnt a way to discuss war and the military and many times they come to be more like a lithurgy. "I'm against war and for peace" is something very obvious that we can say all the time. But so is "I'm against crime and people being violent and hurting each other" would be also similar. Or "All weapons, especially nuclear weapons, should be destroyed" is also very simplistic. Yet we just reach to the moral high ground and not accept just how institutionalized war and warfighting is in every society that there is.

I would hope actually that there would be a philosophical debate about war in this forum. Too easily it becomes related to current events and ongoing wars. And this is already this OP is found the lounge, not in "ethics" or in "political philosophy". — ssu

Good point!
I'm glad you're pointing this out.

I've stayed away from -- not even reading-- threads about war because the topic becomes a series of postings about current events.

There is the political philosophy proper to discuss this:
The just war theory and ethics in the battlegrounds.
The ethics of diplomacy and negotiations should also be included here.

I've stayed away from -- not even reading-- threads about war because the topic becomes a series of postings about current events.

There is the political philosophy proper to discuss this:
The just war theory and ethics in the battlegrounds.
The ethics of diplomacy and negotiations should also be included here. — L'éléphant

It's inherently a structural part of our societies. It's so frighteningly normal. Has been since the time of Plato and Aristotle and thus our views about war and military don't actually differ so much for the Greek philosophers.

Yet talking about war, the military or deterrence is very difficult to do in a philosophical way, because there's the need for moral posturing and grandstanding. The perfect example is a discussion of nuclear weapons.

And indeed the just war theory, the laws of war and rules of engagement are very interesting topics philosophically in a situation there basically are no rules and no limitations.

The institutionalization of warfighting and military is also interesting. In a way, human beings rationality, practicality and ingenuity emerge in warfare a very bizarre way in a very deadly competition.