WWII Just War Theory

World War II Just War Theory

The American's original intentions of the United States entry into war were justified, but because the intentions changed throughout the war makes their actions unjust. The Just War Theory gave several names to war strategies that kept the war just or on track to solving what was initially intended and keeping fair actions. It states that you do what ever you can to remain fair. Thomas Aquinas believed that by the end on the war, the reasons for fighting were not the same as the original intentions.

Germans sank numerous American merchant ships and took the supplies to England, Japan demanded unreasonably on the United States (for example they re-instated oil sales and dropped the support of the Philippines and China), German submarines began to shoot at American war ships, and Pearl Harbor were some of the key reasons for entering the war. Anytime we are attacked it was a leading act to joining this inevitable war. However, realize that we declared war on Japan and three days later Germany declared war on us was not a coincidence.

What the Americans later began to fight for was to be an alliance to England and France. This is unjust because initially we waned to fight the Japanese and German because they insisted war. In becoming allies with France and England, we had taken the spot light off of ourselves and put it directly onto our allies. Since England and France both have strong armies, it was not an issue for them to fight (especially with a few extra men from the American troops).

The Americans joined the war for one reason. Their reasoning for joining the war in the first place was still in mind, but has been expanded and tweaked. Their actions became unjust for giving one reason to go to war, but fighting for something else.

Why did the US attack Cuba?

Why Did the US Attack Cuba?

The reasoning for an attack on Cuba is stated in the article, March of the Flag, by Albert J. Beveridge. This states that the Americans attacked for Imperialistic reasons. They wanted to be seen by others as a great nation. Evidence in the article is: "If England can govern foreign lands, so can America!" I believe this to be one of the reasons for the claining of Cuba because America wanted to be the largest, strongest, and most dominionative nation in the world.

We another reason for the attack was that we felt it was necessary to free the Cubans from the Spanish. The article Reconcentration Camps, by Fitshugh Lee, states: "For a hundred and sixty men were thrown to the ground like animals."The last possible proposal for the attack on Cuba would have been the avenge the fallen ship and sailors of The Maine. The US would have attacked to get back at spain for sinking one of their ships. The Maine was being sent into Cuba, and was blown up by a mysterious explosion. The Americans took it to be a Spanish mine, and blamed them immediately for them blowing up our ship intentionally.

The most valid reason for the Americans to attack Cuba was to save them from the Spaniards. It was a very selfless act in that they went into Cuba, forced the Spanish out, and let Cuba become their own nation. The Americans didn't ask for anything in return (to our knowledge). Now, this made the Americans look very good. This may be a reason to make this theory up. Americans are stealing, lying, cheaters, and this seemed like an easy time to get ahead and tell all the other nations what great people they are by saving a helpless country.

Popularism in The State of the Union Adress

State of the Union Adress

Popularism is a political statement that appeals to the majority of the people who elect congress. Political parties and politicians often use the terms populist and populism as an insult against their opponents. Such a view sees populism as merely empathising with the public in order to increase appeal across the political spectrum.

On January 20, 2015, Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address. In this address, Obama used a new phrase, "Middle Class Economics." These "economics" include: free community college, free kindergarden, a new tax credit for families with both parents working, an expanded tax credit for child care, an expanded access to retirement savings accounts, equal pay for living, and an increased minimum wage.

Are any of these "free" things that Obama is offering actually free? Nothing is actually ever free. So who is actually paying for them? The government willingly throws the nation's money towards causes that "are for the greater good." He added all of these taxes on the upper class to pay for pther people's college experiences, or to pay for other's free kindergarden, ect. None of these things will, in the long run, be to the benefit of the majority. When all of the upper class begin to realize that since they work hard for their money and it is continually taken away, they will stop working hard for it. Eventually, who will be the upper class? The majority (the middle class) will be paying off the debts of our nation.

causes civil war mastery

Causes of the Civil War

    In 1852, Harriett Beecher Stowe published a novel called Uncle Tom's Cabin. This is an anti-slavery novel written to get others of the south to realize how horrible slavery is. Slavery is said to be one of the main reasons that the Civil War came to be. Other reasoning has been surpassed in many writings of texts to avoid offending of cultures. People all over the US had different opinions on slavery. Even slaves themselves took advantage of sharing their opinions when given the chance. 

    In a specific case, the Dred Scott Decision, he was given his opportunity to voice his opinions. The court could have just decided that since he was not a citizen of the United States that he was not aloud to be represented in court. They went along with it anyway. His case was this: Dred Scott sued for the freedom of his wife and kids. They belonged to a slave owner who had once lived in the South and moved North taking his "belongings" with him. 

    The court declared the slave owner innocent. Many citizens of the North, especially republicans, came to realize that there were no actual "free states". Any slave owner from anywhere is allowed to move and take slave with him. This was even accepted in the Northern States because slaves are technically someone's possessions. The government can not take away something that belongs to a human and citizen of their country. This leads to the wanted secession of the south. By the time Abraham Lincoln took office, already seven stated had divided from the union. These states adopted to nomenclature of the Confederate States of America.

American Renaissance

American Renaissance 

    In the time that is today called the American Renaissance, a new form of art, music, and in a sense, culture is established. The way of art changed in that in addition to painting people or objects, landscape was also painted or drawn at this time. Those who painted or drew landscape called themselves the Hudson River School. This so called "school" was influenced by romanticism. This was a movement in the late 18 century that was a peak for most areas of the United States. Some say that this was a result of the Industrial Revolution.

     Transcendentalists, which were those who sought to better america, took a big role during this time period. Among the transcendentalists were William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

War of 1812

What would today we like if we had not won the War of 1812?

    Americans believed they got the victory of the War of 1812. They destroyed the last few ties between themselves and the British. The Indians knew how much of a loss they had. They continued to lose more and more land to the new settlers. They hoped that the English would win so that expansion towards the west would cease. This meant they sided with Great Britain. For the British, the loss of this war was no big deal. The year of 1812 was the year that Napoleon marched into Russia. This meant that the war against us was just something on the side that they weren't even worried about.
    If Britain HAD won the War of 1812, where would we be today? Would America still have independence, or would it be controlled by the British? The United States may still be fighting the British if it weren't for winning the War of 1812. It wouldn't possess the entire Western portion of the US that we have today. The current citizens of the US would be deprived of knowing what great things that have made America the great country that it is today.

Reality is that with the persistence that the Americans possessed, they would not give in. They would continue on a pursuit for their complete freedom from Great Britain like they already had been. The war may not have been declared over. It may have gone on for several more years to come until the British gave them what they wanted, complete severance.