On ISIS and War

Tam tweets to make her opinion known on the whole “ISIS beheading an American on video and threatening to do another one if we don’t comply with their demands” thing.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists!" - President Bill Pullman
Source: IMDB

Look, I’m about as anti-war as they come (not pacifist, that’s another matter entirely).  My personal opinion is that the last war that the US got involved in that we had any business being involved in was the war against Japan in the ‘40s.  You could probably convince me that the Taliban-smashing effort in Afghanistan was just, but was then tarnished by a subsequent ten-year “nation building” effort that was entirely folly. Not that it wasn't with good intentions, or a noble attempt to reduce suffering, but you can't force a western government on a people that don't want one.  

Throughout history, many people have been kept from
voting at gunpoint.  We Americans now like
to FORCE people to vote at gunpoint.  Because
that's okay, or something.

But even my anti-war ass looks at ISIS’ brutal, animalistic beheading of an American prisoner/kidnapping victim, and threat to do another if we don’t bow to their will, as about the most clear-cut causus belli imaginable.  I would whole-heartedly support any effort that the United States Government chooses to implement in response, as long as the goal of that response is the complete and total destruction of everything even peripherally related to ISIS.

Figure out a way to minimize collateral damage, first, maybe...

As commenter Kristophr put it on Tam’s blog:

If punishing barbarians that kill it’s citizens is not part of a government’s duty, then what is a government even for?