Overview
This book dives into the contentious issue of military preemption following the events of 9/11, initiated by President George W. Bush's declaration that the United States would adopt a strategy of preemption against terrorist threats. This shift sparked a significant debate regarding the justification for military force.
Key Questions Addressed
Some critical questions explored in this volume include:
- Is a nation justified in launching an attack before facing an actual threat?
- Under what conditions might this be acceptable?
- How do emerging threats from terrorists armed with weapons of mass destruction challenge our traditional notions of defense?
Debate and Perspectives
This book presents a thorough examination of preemptive and preventive military action. It features a compelling debate with new chapters from leading experts, offering various viewpoints on the justifications and critiques surrounding the Bush doctrine.
Notable contributors include:
- Historian Marc Trachtenberg
- International relations professor Neta Crawford
- Law professor David Luban
- Political philosopher Allen Buchanan
These authors engage with other respected figures in the discourse on war's nature and justification, like historian Hew Strachan and philosophers David Rodin and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, creating rich dialogues that reflect on historical, legal, political, and philosophical nuances of military conflict.
The exchanges aim to shed light on crucial policy questions, steering the conversation beyond simple binaries often found in popular discussions to consider moral constraints on military and political actions in the face of serious threats.
