The reluctant warrior

Those who criticise the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama fail to appreciate the subtle distinction between peaceful and pacifist, the left-liberal daily La Repubblica writes: "If the US president has apparently disappointed the hopes he inspired and accepted a prize that is difficult to reconcile with the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, the reason for this misunderstanding is that people have overlooked the important difference between those who lead a war of their own 'free will' and those who do it out of 'necessity'. ... Another key word for the acceptance of the Nobel Prize is the word 'just'. To the delicate sensitivities of the pacifist the distinction between 'just' and 'unjust' is invalid because every war is by definition an absolute evil that must be rejected. But for the sense of responsibility of an essentially peaceful person and reluctant warrior weapons are the last resort when all other serious attempts … have failed."

» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » U.S., » Global
All available articles from » Vittorio Zucconi

» To the complete press review of Friday, December 11, 2009