Just War? So What

 I saw this post today by the US Catholic Bishops, clarifying Just War doctrine:

This is, of course, in response to Trump's attacks on the Pope's criticism of the Iran War.

The Just War doctrine is well reasoned, but in actual use irrelevant.

1. If we look back at wars throughout history with the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that few of them would qualify. In fact, if we look at #1, it's hard to see that the aggressor in the war (i.e. the group that started it) would ever be Justified.

2. Yet, often the actual aggressor contends that they are in fact only defending themselves. That's certainly true in the Iraq war in the George W. Bush administration (Iraq was accused of having weapons of mass destruction), the Afghanistan War (they are sponsoring terrorism) and now Trump's Iran War (weeks from having a nuclear weapon). 

3. God is always on our side, regardless of sides. In Trump's Iran War, the statements of Trump (and his participation in a marathon bible reading right now), Hegseth, J.D. Vance and others clearly have overtones of a religious crusade, even in some cases citing supposed biblical prophesies. Iran is ruled by a theocratic cabal, convinced that not just Islam, but their particular form of Islam, is the only true religion. The Israelis seem motivated by a Manifest Destiny of the covenant with Abraham in Genesis to restore the David boundaries of Israel as it was >2000 years ago. It's the same Abrahamic God supporting all 3 sides. Maybe at last we have a good metaphor for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity?

The point is that those involved in a war nearly always think they are in the right, and nearly always can present a view of the facts - or "alternative facts" to justify their actions.