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About this quote

What does it mean?
The concept of a 'just war' is a contradiction because war is inherently unjust; the challenge is dealing with evil without killing many.
In plain terms
You cannot have a just war because war itself is unjust; we must fight evil without killing.
What can you take from it?
Reject the idea that war can be just; find non-lethal ways to fight evil.

Where it applies

  • philosophical debate
  • peace movements
  • policy

Putting it to work

  • reject war as a tool
  • pursue non-lethal solutions

Questions to consider

  • Can war ever be moral?
  • How do we fight evil without war?

Another view

Some believe war is sometimes the only way to stop tyranny.

More from Howard Zinn

  1. We need to decide that we will not go to war, whatever reason is conjured up by the politicians or the media, because war in our time is always indiscriminate,…

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  2. I would encourage people to look around them in their community and find an organization that is doing something that they believe in, even if that organizatio…

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  3. Not only did waging war against Hitler fail to save the Jews, it may be that the war itself brought on the Final Solution of genocide. This is not to remove th…

    Permalink to quote #12

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