Chapter 11
Post-War Justice (1): Medical Reconstruction and the Responsibility to Rebuild
When a nation successfully defends itself and defeats its enemy, what obligation, if any, does it owe the vanquished? The answer is often none: a defeated enemy has no claim to any consideration whatsoever having forfeited its right to restitution the moment it pursued armed aggression.
Humanitarian wars, however, are different. When nations go to war to defend foreigners suffering from an abusive regime, defeating and deposing the regime is only half the mission. Ultimately, humanitarian wars must restore and guarantee the same dignified life whose degradation justified war in the first place. Decent medical care is central to anyone's idea of a dignified life. Fair enough, but what level of medical reconstruction does post-war justice demand? And for how long?
Thinking about this, The Responsibility to Rebuild calls on wealthy states:
“To provide, particularly after a military intervention, full assistance with recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation, addressing the causes of the harm the intervention was designed to halt or avert… as long as necessary in order to achieve self-sustained stability. Coalitions or nations act irresponsibly if they intervene without the will to restore peace and stability, and to sustain a post-intervention operation for as long as necessary to do so.
Whoa!
- Who is obligated to rebuild devastated medical facilities?
- When is enough enough and time to go home?
- Medical Reconstruction: Just improving health or building stable states?