One of my pet areas of study is Just War Theory. Today, Joseph Loconte of National Review Online has a solid piece on how traditional JWT has been watered down. He begins:

"The mischief began at least 20 years ago, when the U.S. Catholic Bishops issued 'The Challenge of Peace,' a pastoral letter redefining the litmus test for war. Not only must military action be a last resort, they said, but 'all peaceful alternatives must have been exhausted.'

And goes on to explain the slippery slope of the ultra ambiguous last phrase of the above quote. He wraps it all up with:

"Just-war doctrine remains essential to international order, but if it can't sanction action against this menace, it needs revision. Grounded in Christian ethics, the theory guards against warmongerng in the pursuit of national security. But when all peaceful alternatives to war have failed, the doctrine must not become a suicide pact with civilization. "