Because I teach a graduate-level course on international conflict, I have grappled with the question of initiating wars for a long time. I also have to think about my 9th grade history teacher, a Vietnam War draft dodger (he used his white privilege to get a doctor's note) who said wars always create more problems than they solve. Indeed, there is never a good time to call it quits and go home. The only way to avoid that is to never initiate a war. The whole goal of deterrence, which is wildly misunderstood, is the exploitation of potential force, not the efficient application of force. As painful as it is to watch, I don't think the West would have sympathized with Ukraine had it attacked Russia first in a "preemptive" war. And when Russia would have pummeled the Ukrainians in response and marched toward Kyiv, the West would not have come to Ukraine's rescue. The only justifiable war is a truly defensive war in which the other side has violated your sovereignty. Now if we take the case of Afghanistan, there may have been justification because Al Qaeda had attacked the US and Afghanistan was harboring it. But the time to have pulled out would have been the day after the Taliban fell. Arrange for UN Peacekeepers, if necessary, but otherwise get out and only come back if you're invited. It's not only the more moral foreign policy, it is also the least destructive.
Because I teach a graduate-level course on international conflict, I have grappled with the question of initiating wars for a long time. I also have to think about my 9th grade history teacher, a Vietnam War draft dodger (he used his white privilege to get a doctor's note) who said wars always create more problems than they solve. Indeed, there is never a good time to call it quits and go home. The only way to avoid that is to never initiate a war. The whole goal of deterrence, which is wildly misunderstood, is the exploitation of potential force, not the efficient application of force. As painful as it is to watch, I don't think the West would have sympathized with Ukraine had it attacked Russia first in a "preemptive" war. And when Russia would have pummeled the Ukrainians in response and marched toward Kyiv, the West would not have come to Ukraine's rescue. The only justifiable war is a truly defensive war in which the other side has violated your sovereignty. Now if we take the case of Afghanistan, there may have been justification because Al Qaeda had attacked the US and Afghanistan was harboring it. But the time to have pulled out would have been the day after the Taliban fell. Arrange for UN Peacekeepers, if necessary, but otherwise get out and only come back if you're invited. It's not only the more moral foreign policy, it is also the least destructive.
Really enjoyed your curation of these thoughtful takes along with your own thoughts.