Given the recent international outrage over the Israeli flotilla raid, the question of “proportionality” (particularly with regard to Israel’s military actions against Hamas) has once again become a topic of serious discussion. Unfortunately, the ‘doctrine’ (and I loosely refer to it as such) of proportionality is actually a much more complex doctrine than many acknowledge.
For those of you interested in reading more about the subject, I want to recommend an article I found on “The New Atlantis” titled “Proportionality in Warfare”. The author makes some excellent points; but I must warn you… this is a thorough discussion. Here is an interesting snippet to whet your appetite:
Many clerics, journalists, and professors, however, have invented a wholly different interpretation and use, making the theory more and more stringent, particularly with regard to civilian deaths. In fact, they have reinterpreted it to a point where it is pretty much impossible to find a war or conflict that can be justified. Historically, just war theory was meant to be an alternative to Christian pacifism; now, for some of its advocates, it is pacifism’s functional equivalent — a kind of cover for people who are not prepared to admit that there are no wars they will support.
via The New Atlantis » Proportionality in Warfare.