Legitimate Use of Force Quotes

The principle of self defense, even involving weapons and bloodshed, has never been condemned, even by Gandhi.

One may slay without hesitation an assassin who approaches with murderous intent…. By killing an assassin the slayer incurs no guilt, whether he does it publicly or secretly; in that case fury recoils upon fury

The one thing government has which we (you or I or any corporation) DON'T have, is the ability to use deadly force to accomplish its goals.

The single definition of government I've ever seen that makes sense is that it's the organization which claims the right to kill people who won't do what it wants.

The legitimacy of a war is not established by how it is organized but by what it achieves.

The justice of a war basically refers to the question whether there is a right to attack in the first place. Justice in a war is concerned with whether the fighting happens in accordance with the international laws of war.

Not only do most people accept violence if it is perpetuated by legitimate authority, they also regard violence against certain kinds of people as inherently legitimate, no matter who commits it.

I'm not a pacifist by any measure, but I'm also fully aware that the reasons I might go to war could be very dubious.