At war's end: Clashing visions and the need for reform

Abstract

The topic of post-war justice has only recently been getting the attention it deserves. Historically, it was assumed that, as the old saying goes, "to the victor go the spoils of war." This, however, is a sub-optimal state of affairs which needs very much to be changed. The goal of this essay, accordingly, is to construct a general set of plausible principles to guide communities seeking to resolve their armed conflicts fairly and decently. After that, quick application will be made of these principles to the on-going cases in Afghanistan and Iraq.