Assignment 9- Shelby Amato

I strongly agree with the Mennonites that there is never a time where war is absolutely necessary. I believe that we have progressed as a global society enough that we can work things out through discussion and negotiation rather than resort to physical conflict. In fact, global interdependency has become so absolute that trade sanctions are a stronger threat than violence. With so many effective alternatives, the idea that war is a fact of life will eventually seem archaic and barbaric. I don't think that war should be avoided at all costs, however. If a nation has declared war, and it has escalated to the point of all out violence, I don't believe that we should be afraid to fight back. This does not mean joining a war that we don't need to join, but if someone attacks us or our ally, it is our duty to protect ourselves over an abstract ideal of peace.