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dingalingyesterday at 5:22 PM1 replyview on HN

I think it's accurate.

"War" is the application of violence for political ends. "Defense" is only a subset of that.


Replies

nolokyesterday at 5:49 PM

Yeah, the idea is that we wanted to move focus from might make right to deterrance and international law. It's why the UN charter prohibits agressive war but allow self defense, and why the US renamed its departement of war to department of defense in 1947.

So yeah, sure, in the current attitude and action that are very much "hey let's go back to that great time where we openly agreed war of conquest are a good thing" they have it makes sense.