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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: zonder who wrote (50418)	10/9/2002 9:24:25 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I propose a litmus test for when a country really needs to go to war: When there are no doubts as to the necessity among its citizens. This is a democracy. That means that the minority opinion doesn't prevail. Republic, actually, but take a look at the votes in Congress on the issue. That should tell you something.

To: zonder who wrote (50418)	10/10/2002 1:34:15 AM
From: D. Long	Respond to of 281500

I propose a litmus test for when a country really needs to go to war: When there are no doubts as to the necessity among its citizens. That is, for one thing, impossible in any country the size of the United States. Given the size and diversity of the population, there will ALWAYS be dissenters. In a perfectly informed, perfectly educated, and perfectly rational citizenry, some Utopian fantasy, your litmus test may be possible. In the real world, it isn't. When else has the citizens of a country protested in the streets against a war intended by their president? Why would they oppose it if they really felt threatened with an imminent, clear and present danger? Umm... all of them? There were even riots in New York during the Civil War. A more accurate question would be "when has there been an American war that DIDN'T have some sort of protests?" Derek