America’s Just War

"A just war is one that avenges wrongs, when a nation has to be punished." St. Augustine. 400 A.D.   ‍

Americans are mostly good people. Our kindness is often mistaken as weakness, and is sometimes used as a weapon against us. Bin Laden used America's open borders, lax immigration laws, free travel, and open society to carry out his attack. He used our trust to hurt us.

I didn't understand this concept until I was briefed prior to a trip to Central America.

"George, you will almost certainly be witness to a mugging. Don't rush in to help the victim!"

"Why shouldn't I try to help?"

"Muggings are often staged to entrap American visitors. An American's urge to help is used by street criminals to draw him into an alley where he will be mugged. You could even be kidnapped. Don't pay any attention to cries for help. Stay on the main streets."

At the time, I could hardly conceive of such demonic evil. But on September 11, 2001, all Americans could.

Islamic terrorists say they use the Koran as their guide. And they do - out of context. When I lived in Europe, Aheem, my Moslem employee in London, stole a substantial sum of money from me. I had paid him well and he had no reason to steal. After I discovered the theft, I had him arrested, and asked him the obvious question - "WHY?"

Aheem: "Because you are an infidel and I can take your possessions, or your life!"

George: "That is a complete distortion of Islam!"

Aheem: "Read this!"

I read the Koran passage to which he referred, and sure enough, he had 'legally' robbed me! I then told Aheem that according to the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, we can 'legally' kill homosexuals, adulterers and even our rebellious children. I told him that no civilized person would consider such a thing and Jesus had taught us to bring these sinners to redemption. Aheem told me that he would gladly kill all the aforementioned offenders.

I left the jail depressed with the situation. It seemed that evil people would seek out whatever it took to justify whatever they wanted to do.

Sixteen hundred years ago, Saint Augustine wrote The Just War. Before I read it, I wondered how a holy man could justify war. Weren't Christians supposed to preach peace - no matter what?

His book surprised me by its pure theology and logic. Augustine said "we can not go to war over personal hurts - such as being robbed. Christian charity is to cover that problem. But rulers of nations have an obligation to go to war to maintain peace. The reason for war is to defend the nation's peace against serious injury. A just war is one that avenges wrongs, when “a nation or people has to be punished for refusing to make amends for the wrongs inflicted by its citizens."

Biden just surrendered to the Taliban, the most brutal regime ever conceived. A Taliban defector told reporters in Pakistan that his job was to capture and torture dissenters. He was to make the torture so unimaginably horrible that nobody would dream of dissenting again. And so he did. When he caught folks who disagreed with the Taliban, he would nail them to crosses. He would flay them to pieces. He would make his torture last as long as possible and his victims' screams as loud as possible. Anyone who did not report possible dissenters would be tortured as well. All to further the cause of the Taliban.

America was on the right side. Against such evil, war was the correct path.

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