A small brass balance scale with a white feather in each pan and a leafy branch leaning against its base.

Original artwork, not a still

Terrorism and War

Howard Zinn

The term “just war” contains an internal contradiction. War is inherently unjust, and the great challenge of our time is how to deal with evil, tyranny, and oppression without killing huge numbers of people.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The writer rejects the idea that a war can be righteous, calling the phrase self-contradictory because war is unjust by nature. The real challenge, they say, is finding ways to confront evil, tyranny, and oppression without large-scale killing. This is a pacifist argument about means.

Context reviewed

Share this quote