Matter of principle : humanitarian arguments for war in Iraq / edited by Thomas Cushman.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Cushman, Thomas.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Iraq War, 2003-2011--Moral and ethical aspects.

Iraq War, 2003-2011.

Iraq--History--2003-.

Iraq.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (385 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Current debate over the motives, ideological justifications, and outcomes of the war with Iraq have been strident and polarizing. A Matter of Principle is the first volume gathering critical voices from around the world to offer an alternative perspective on the prevailing pro-war and anti-war positions. The contributors - political figures, public intellectuals, scholars, church leaders, and activists-represent the most powerful views of liberal internationalism. Offering alternative positions that challenge the status quo of both the left and the right, these essays claim that, in spite of the inconsistent justifications provided by the United States and its allies and the conflict-ridden process of social reconstruction, the war in Iraq has been morally justifiable on the grounds that Saddam Hussein was a brutal tyrant, a flagrant violator of human rights, a force of global instability and terror, and a threat to world peace. The authors discuss the limitations of the current system of global governance, which tolerates gross violations of human rights and which has failed to prevent genocide in places such as Bosnia and Rwanda. They also underscore the need for reform in international institutions and international law. At the same time, these essays do not necessarily attempt to apologize for the mistakes, errors, and deceptions in the way the Bush administration has handled the war. Disputing the idea that the only true liberal position on the war is to be against it, this volume charts an invaluable third course, a path determined by a strong liberal commitment to human rights, solidarity with the oppressed, and a firm stand against fascism, totalitarianism, and tyranny.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Liberal-Humanitarian Case For War In Iraq

1. The Case For Regime Change

2. Liberal Legacies, Europe's Totalitarian Era, And The Iraq War: Historical Conjunctures And Comparisons

3. "Regime Change": The Case Of Iraq

4. In The Murk Of It: Iraq Reconsidered

5. National Interest And International Law

6. Just War Against An "Outlaw" Region

7. Moral Arguments: Sovereignty, Feasibility, Agency, And Consequences

8. A Friendly Drink In A Time Of War

9. Wielding The Moral Club

10. Peace, Human Rights, And The Moral Choices Of The Churches

11. Ethical Correctness And The Decline Of The Left

12. Pages From A Daily Journal Of Argument

13. Liberal Realism Or Liberal Idealism: The Iraq War And The Limits Of Tolerance

14. Iraq And The European Left

15. Guilt's End: How Germany Redefined The Lessons Of Its Past During The Iraq War

16. The Iraq War And The French Left

17. Tempting Illusions, Scary Realities, Or The Emperor's New Clothes II

18. Antitotalitarianism As A Vocation: An Interview With Adam Michnik

19. Sometimes, A War Saves People

20. Gulf War Syndrome Mark Ii: The Case For Siding With The Iraqi People

21. "They Don't Know One Little Thing" Pamela Bone

22. "Why Did It Take You So Long To Get Here?"

23. Full Statement To The House Of Commons, 18 March 2003

24. The Threat Of Global Terrorism

Contributors

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

Includes bibliographical notes and index.

ISBN:

9786612759383

9781282759381

1282759388

9780520932166

0520932161

9781417585151

1417585153

9781598759150

1598759159

OCLC:

58728623