11-25-2018, 04:24 AM
The following is a slightly modified argument I made via successive posts in the Discord server, which I've posted below for everyone's convenience:
I disagree with the argument that war should be a last resort in circumstances regarding grievous and hitherto-unknown violations of sovereignty; indeed, war can be a preferable option in numerous circumstances, particularly in Lazarus' circumstances, for the following reasons:
Firstly, in a context such as this one, wherein war against the NPO is the geopolitical reality many regions have chosen to adopt, to do anything less than that makes it look like we are choosing to forge and lead a course of moderation in dealing with the NPO; not quite stuck in the middle between war and alliance (that would be true neutrality), but certainly close to it; and that is an inappropriate response because the actions against Lazarus the NPO perpetrated were not the most moderate, but rather the most extreme, more extreme than even its actions against Osiris.
Secondly, by declaring war, we open to ourselves a large swathe of allies and defenders we do not presently have, by virtue of being co-belligerents with them. This is of significant advantage to our own internal security; furthermore, it need not conflict with our own pluralist and open values, because this war is not a conflict of Independence/Raiderism vs. Defenderism/Francoism, considering XKI/TRR's comparative coolness in dealing with the NPO; it is a conflict of Anti-Francoism vs. Francoism, a wholly reasonable proposition considering Francoism's imperialist propositions.
Thirdly, war has the potential of unifying a hitherto-disparate populace by causing the existential threat to cause people to rally; by unifying the people, it will lead to immense activity. Furthermore, this very much has the possibility of, in our case, causing the creation of an active military; not only a boon in and of itself by virtue of creating activity, but a boon particularly because explicitly pluralist and non-ideological (beyond anti-Francoist) aims would be enabled by the creating circumstances.
Fourthly, and most importantly, this is a pronouncement of our own sovereignty in regards to this threat; not only will it naturally inspire immense vigilance against this threat, it will also be a mere response to acts of aggression by responding in kind.
Fifthly, there's no legitimate reason not to go to war, and to be honest, official, declared war in NS is not the inherent-but-sometimes-necessary evil it is in real life. It is, for the reasons I outlined above, in many cases a very good and positive thing in and of itself; furthermore, it does not really have the negative consequences of real-life war. There are no lives lost, no infrastructure destroyed, etc.; wars are in NationStates as propagandistic as they are militaristic. This opposition to war is a mistaken belief born out of real-life concerns, not out of pragmatic recognition of NSGP realities. The major consequence of war in NS is geopolitical, not material and biological as in real-life; and such geopolitical consequences are (A): Minimal in Lazarus' case because it presently lacks geopolitical allies, and would be compensated for with allies via co-belligerents, and (B): Minimal in any case because NS war does not seriously threaten the safety and security of regions with high Delegate counts (such as Lazarus).
I disagree with the argument that war should be a last resort in circumstances regarding grievous and hitherto-unknown violations of sovereignty; indeed, war can be a preferable option in numerous circumstances, particularly in Lazarus' circumstances, for the following reasons:
Firstly, in a context such as this one, wherein war against the NPO is the geopolitical reality many regions have chosen to adopt, to do anything less than that makes it look like we are choosing to forge and lead a course of moderation in dealing with the NPO; not quite stuck in the middle between war and alliance (that would be true neutrality), but certainly close to it; and that is an inappropriate response because the actions against Lazarus the NPO perpetrated were not the most moderate, but rather the most extreme, more extreme than even its actions against Osiris.
Secondly, by declaring war, we open to ourselves a large swathe of allies and defenders we do not presently have, by virtue of being co-belligerents with them. This is of significant advantage to our own internal security; furthermore, it need not conflict with our own pluralist and open values, because this war is not a conflict of Independence/Raiderism vs. Defenderism/Francoism, considering XKI/TRR's comparative coolness in dealing with the NPO; it is a conflict of Anti-Francoism vs. Francoism, a wholly reasonable proposition considering Francoism's imperialist propositions.
Thirdly, war has the potential of unifying a hitherto-disparate populace by causing the existential threat to cause people to rally; by unifying the people, it will lead to immense activity. Furthermore, this very much has the possibility of, in our case, causing the creation of an active military; not only a boon in and of itself by virtue of creating activity, but a boon particularly because explicitly pluralist and non-ideological (beyond anti-Francoist) aims would be enabled by the creating circumstances.
Fourthly, and most importantly, this is a pronouncement of our own sovereignty in regards to this threat; not only will it naturally inspire immense vigilance against this threat, it will also be a mere response to acts of aggression by responding in kind.
Fifthly, there's no legitimate reason not to go to war, and to be honest, official, declared war in NS is not the inherent-but-sometimes-necessary evil it is in real life. It is, for the reasons I outlined above, in many cases a very good and positive thing in and of itself; furthermore, it does not really have the negative consequences of real-life war. There are no lives lost, no infrastructure destroyed, etc.; wars are in NationStates as propagandistic as they are militaristic. This opposition to war is a mistaken belief born out of real-life concerns, not out of pragmatic recognition of NSGP realities. The major consequence of war in NS is geopolitical, not material and biological as in real-life; and such geopolitical consequences are (A): Minimal in Lazarus' case because it presently lacks geopolitical allies, and would be compensated for with allies via co-belligerents, and (B): Minimal in any case because NS war does not seriously threaten the safety and security of regions with high Delegate counts (such as Lazarus).
The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation. - Jeremy Bentham, A Fragment on Government
All statements made on this forum are official communiqués of the Skadifronic government authored by Valdemar Ólafursson of Clan Svarti, Deputy General Secretary of the Supreme Popular Assembly of Skadifron, Popular Goði of Foreign Affairs, Third Lawspeaker of for the Supreme Ráð of Skadifron, Member of the Supreme Ráð of Skadifron (representing Älvdalen), at-large Representative of the General Organization of Diplomats for the All-Union Congress of Syndicates, and Private First Class of the Skadifronic Militia (Älvdalen branch).
All statements made on this forum are official communiqués of the Skadifronic government authored by Valdemar Ólafursson of Clan Svarti, Deputy General Secretary of the Supreme Popular Assembly of Skadifron, Popular Goði of Foreign Affairs, Third Lawspeaker of for the Supreme Ráð of Skadifron, Member of the Supreme Ráð of Skadifron (representing Älvdalen), at-large Representative of the General Organization of Diplomats for the All-Union Congress of Syndicates, and Private First Class of the Skadifronic Militia (Älvdalen branch).