Wars are justified but still obscene
To the Editor:
With deference to David Crane’s credentials (“The 7th Crusade — U.S. folly in Iran,” March 18 SMN) and respect for his opinions, I would offer a contrarian view.
If the Treaty of Versailles had been enforced as de Gaulle and many others vigorously advocated, then perhaps WWII could have been avoided. What would it have taken to enforce that? Could it have been accomplished? We’ll never know.
Mr. Crane chose historical events that supported his viewpoints, but there are others that refute it. Is war ever justified? Yes! Is justification measured by the outcome? No! War is obscene in every circumstance.
The positions between a passivist and a warmonger are nearly impossible to identify let alone adopt and, unfortunately, only history will judge.
Paul Stapf
Waynesville
