Essays on War: 1. The Inconsequence of Superpower War, 2. Quarantine, 3. The Quagmire of Self-Defense

摘要

Rarely does the career military officer have an opportunity to step back from the daily press of a line or staff assignment and reflect upon the lessons learned from his career. Captain Walter 'R' Thomas, USN, when afforded this opportunity in the form of a National Defense University Research Fellowship, responded enthusiastically. His three essays represent a senior career naval officer's observations on various aspects of international law and human conflict. In his first essay, 'The Inconsequence of Superpower War,' Captain Thomas assumes that the possibility of war between the United States and the Soviet Union is remote, at least as long as these two nations maintain their relative power. The greatest danger is viewed as a confrontation which could occur by error, miscalculation, or involvement in someone's else's 'splendid little war.' In the next essay, Captain Thomas proposes that 'Quarantine' operations could be adopted as an alternative to war when they are directed by regional agencies-as the Cuban Quarantine was when it was invoked under the auspices of the Organization of American States. Similar maritime operations by regional agencies are suggested as actions short of war which nations might impose to discipline aggressors and resolve disputes. 'The Quagmire of Self-Defense,' the third essay, discusses self-defense as a basic right of nations, but alleges that it often is a political gambit which nations use to justify their use of military force. While the doctrine of self-defense is defined generally in the United Nations Charter, the author notes that governments often deliberately apply the concept imprecisely. (Author)