Ethics and American Power

Two cabinet secretaries address the problems of when and how the United States should use military power. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger emphasizes the importance of prudence and restraint in the use of military force in chapter 1: "The Uses of Military Power." Secretary of State George P. Shultz stresses the vital importance of readiness to back up diplomacy with military power in chapter 2: "The Ethics of Power." Twelve well-known Americans respond variously to the positions of Weinberger and Shultz in Chapters 3-14. Chapter titles and authors are: "The Weinberger-Shultz Debate Is Dangerous" (Philip Geyelin); "The Weinberger-Shultz Debate Is Beneficial" (Smith Hempstone); "Christian Morality and U.S. Power" (Carl F.H. Henry); "Rules That Paralyze Action" (Thomas Molnar); "The Moral Purpose of Foreign Policy" (Richard John Neuhaus); "Diplomacy and the Limits of Force" (David D. Newsom); "A Just and Limited U.S. Defense Policy" (William V. O'Brien); "Taking Necessary Risks" (Roger L. Shinn); "Without Force, Life Would Be Impossible" (Seymour Siegel); "When Shall We Fight and How?" (Edward Teller); and "Afterword: Third World War" (Richard M. Nixon). (JP)