Just War

 

Here we are, embroiled in yet another war and what a warlike few decades it's been. That in mind, you'd expect the Church to have something to say about this and it does, that there is such a thing as a just war and you'd better take note unless you want to go to Hell. OK, what are the conditions for a just war? Here, via the Information Superhighway:

1. Jus ad Bellum (Right to Go to War)

These criteria must all be met before engaging in armed conflict: [1]

• Just Cause: The war must confront a real, grave, and certain danger, such as defending against an unprovoked attack or protecting innocent life. [1, 2]
• Legitimate Authority: Force must only be declared by a properly constituted, recognized government or sovereign state. [1, 2]
• Right Intention: The primary objective must be to redress the injury or establish peace, rather than seeking territorial expansion or revenge. [1, 2]
• Last Resort: All diplomatic, peaceful, and non-violent alternatives must be completely exhausted before initiating hostilities. [1, 2]
• Probability of Success: There must be a reasonable expectation of victory; launching into a hopeless cause or slaughter is considered morally unjustifiable. [1, 2]
• Proportionality: The overall destruction and casualties expected from thbye war must not outweigh the good the military action aims to achieve. [1, 2]

2. Jus in Bello (Right Conduct in War)

These rules dictate ethical behavior on the battlefield, regardless of how just the initial cause was: [1, 2]

• Discrimination / Non-combatant Immunity: Military forces must strictly distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. Innocent civilians, medics, and prisoners of war must never be the deliberate target of an attack. [1, 2]
• Proportionality: Combatants must use the minimum amount of force necessary to achieve a legitimate military objective. The damage inflicted must not be excessive or disproportionate to the strategic gain. [1, 2]

3. Jus post Bellum (Justice After War)

While historically secondary, many modern ethicists include a third set of criteria to govern the conclusion of a conflict. It emphasizes: [1, 2]

• Peace Settlements: Peace treaties should not be overly vindictive and must respect human rights and the sovereignty of the defeated nation. [1, 2, 3]
• Reconstruction: Victorious states have an obligation to assist in rebuilding infrastructure and establishing a sustainable, just society. [1]

There it is, like it or not, just war in outline as taught by the Church for around 700 years. Until now. Pope Leo XIV has told the world in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas that, "Without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the 'just war' theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated." What, there's no such thing as a just war? That it isn't right to confront a grave and certain danger by force of arms? Apparently yes, because Jesus was all about peace. Here's the NCR:

That does not mean the questions raised by the tradition were foolish. They were not. At its best, just war teaching sought to restrain violence. It asked whether a war had a just cause, whether legitimate authority had declared it, whether it was truly a last resort, whether civilians would be protected, whether the harm inflicted would be proportionate to the good sought and whether there was a reasonable hope of success.

 

Well done NCR, salute the tradition and then? Gut it, because drones and tech and such:

Those questions were meant to limit state power, expose aggression and prevent the easy sanctification of violence. But a framework developed in earlier centuries can no longer carry the full moral weight of the Gospel in an age of drones, cyberwarfare, artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, nuclear arsenals, permanent war economies and civilian populations treated as the battlefield itself.

The wars known to Augustine and Aquinas bear little resemblance to the wars of the 21st century. The battlefield is no longer confined. Hospitals, schools, apartment buildings, power grids, water systems, food supplies and communication networks are routinely drawn into the logic of war. Civilian life is no longer collateral to war. Increasingly, civilian life is the terrain of war.

 

Nope, Augustine and Aquinas didn't really think in terms of "civilian life is the terrain of war" said no one at the end of the siege of Jerusalem ever. What an incredibly, mind-numbingly fatuous thing to write. As if a city overtaken by war in late antiquity or the Middle Ages, with its people slaughtered or enslaved by their conqueror, weren't in the terrain or landscape of war. Think, if you like, of the Moslem slaughter at Otranto or Constantinople. Lord have mercy, Kyrie Eleison, it's exactly that kind of thing Just War theory was advanced to at least mitigate or temper. Relevant now as it ever was, but no, there's a deeper reason for it being out of date. According to the NCR, Jesus was a Woodstock Hippy Pacifist:

Jesus did not give his followers a theory of justified violence. He gave them a way of life. He told them to love their enemies, pray for their persecutors, turn the other cheek and put away the sword. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, welcomed the excluded, confronted hypocrisy, crossed boundaries of purity and tribe, forgave sinners and stood before imperial power without returning violence for violence.

This was not passivity. It was active, public, disciplined resistance. Jesus resisted evil without imitating it. He exposed domination without becoming domineering. He defended the dignity of the vulnerable without dehumanizing those who threatened him. He did not die because he was harmless. He died because the nonviolent reign of God he embodied threatened systems built on fear, exclusion and force.

 

There you have it, Jesus was Gandhi, an active, public, disciplined, non-violent resistance to evil colonial oppression. On the contrary, he brought a sword and you'll note, keen-eyed Biblicists, that he never once told a Roman soldier to lay down his weapon. Not once. In fact, Roman soldiers, along with women, count most amongst the most favored wider circle of his friends in the Gospel account.

So stop with this, Leo. War is a tragedy and we hate it, but don't pretend that Jesus was a Hindoo Hippy and that there's no such thing as the Church Militant here on earth, whose members will justifiably defend their homes and families against an evil secularist aggressor and its Moslem ally of convenience.

Deus Vult,

LSP

Trinity

 

Now look here, all you heathen. If you wanted to invent a religion, which I hope you don't, would you encourage the followers of your sect to worship one God in Trinity of persons and unity of substance? Of course you wouldn't, you'd tell your devotees to worship one god or many gods, the human mind can go so far. Yes, but the Triune Deity? No, this has been revealed to us by God Himself and no other religion has it.

Proof positive, I'd argue, in the veracity of the thing, but can we pierce the veracity of the thing? I'll leave you with a prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee, that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

 

Bless you all,

LSP

What A Tragedy

 

You may have forgotten, but yesterday was the anniversary of a most terrible tragedy, the fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, and with it the end of the Christian Eastern Roman Empire. From that time on until now, the splendid capitol of  Eastern Christendom, the second Rome, has been occupied by Moslems.

Accounts vary, but it's said that the last Emperor, Constantine XI, fell in action against the Turks who swarmed into the city on that fateful day. The same Turks who went on to desecrate churches and enslave, rape and kill the city's people in a deadly three day orgy of destruction and looting. 

Constantine had appealed to the West for help and none came, European Christendom was too busy fighting itself and this, I believe, is utterly shameful. We should have launched a Crusade and rallied to the defense of our Eastern brothers and if we had, not only would Constantinople have remained Christian, so too might much of the Middle East. It didn't because we failed to rise to the challenge and look how that mistake's cost us, quite literally, in welfare payments, to say nothing of terrorist savagery.

So now, thanks to our 15th century failure, Islam, which is an existential threat to the civilization of the West and the Faith that undergirds it, sits on top of what was the Eastern Roman Empire, facing us across the Mediterranean and beyond. We may thank God we had the resolve to throw them off at Malta and cast them down at Lepanto.

we need this back

Does that resolve exist today? Not in the governing structures of the rainbow-hued utopias of the EU and UK, they're going full-tilt import Islamic savage invader. You may recall Chesterton wrote a book about it, the Flying Inn, so prescient. Here in the US? Maybe not so pressing an issue until you visit Plano, Texas, of all places, or the equally unlikely Michigan. 

Regardless, surely it's time we took Constantinople back and restored Hagia Sophia to its former glory. C'mon, it's not as though we couldn't do it, and let's free the North of England while we're at it. Sorry, make that the UK.

Deus Vult,

LSP

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Sick of the cloying taste of your nasty Talaricos? Of course you are, we all are, and that's why we're turning to Here & Now for a well-needed palate cleanser. Sharp-eyed readers might even notice the scene in the above infographic. Hey, we all got out alive, here's the band: 

Such rock 'n roll, best seen from the Westbourne Park Bowl (? I think it's a skate park now), which ferociously dates me. Kyrie Eleison. Speaking of which, I once asked an Old Contender about Hawkwind, in or around that same bowl.

He replied, "I didn't know where the sound check began and ended." Yes, we are all anarcho-monarchists now.

Millwall Forever,

LSP

MIdweek Muse

 

Are you all sitting comfortably, with a tall glass of Talarico in hand? Surely yes, it's that time of the evening when we sit back after the rigors of a long day and contemplate the workings of the world. That in mind, reflect on this. 

The UK, you may know, has a tiny Army, Navy and Airforce, an inconsequential armed force which clearly isn't capable of defending the Sceptered Isle much less fighting an actual war against a peer adversary which lasts beyond a week or two. Serious issue, especially for an island which relies on open sea lanes.

OK, gottit, what remarkable foolishness, but here's the thing. When you bring this alarming shortfall up to educated UK Libs as in, "Don't you think it'd be a good idea for an island to have an actual navy?" they get all worked up and vocal, "We've got alliances, man, don't you know anything!" Seriously, that's what they say, we've got "alliances," and so therefore, we don't need an actual navy or the industrial base to make one.

Dear friends, I've met this argument several times, it's a thing, and I'm flummoxed. The UK doesn't have an effective military in any sense of the word but it has "alliances,' so that's OK. Alliances with whom? The mighty German Reich, the Napoleonic splendour of France? Plucky little Belgium? Spain, Italy, Greece, Zimbabwe?

Like no kidding, the EU couldn't fight a war if it tried because it doesn't have any ships, planes, troops or ammo. No worthwhile alliance there then. Ah, but one country does, even now, the US. Are my UK lib pals suggesting that the UK needn't defend itself because America will do the job for them while they import votes?

No, of course they aren't, they're pretending the EU is some kind of military power that can exist without US force. Good luck with that pretense, and bear in mind, Euros, that nature abhors a vacuum. In this case, an absence of actual armies and industry. That in mind, who will fill the undefended space. The Atholl Highlanders, USMC? Yes please.

As it is, I fail to see how a determined invasion force from continental Europe, think Portugal, Luxembourg or anywhere else could be stopped by the UK's non-existent defense force. Interesting prospect, Armada anyone?

Cheers,

LSP

Who Is This Talarico?

 

Talarico, the latest in a long line of Democrat hopefuls trying to turn Texas rainbow blue. Perhaps you remember Abortion Barbie who featured on the front cover of Vogue and Beto, faux Mex Beto who sounded like some kind of south-of-the-border sandwich but was, in fact, an utter failure of a skateboarding trust fund politician. And now we have Talarico, good old Talarico, also faux Mex, and apparently named after some kind of novelty sandwich. 

Cast yourself on a boardwalk in the Gulf of America, "Hey Chief, I'll have a Talarico, easy on the mayo, hold the prawns." Right, Beto 2.0, but what does this former Presbyterian seminarian believe? Without being exhaustive: That God's "non-binary," that there's six genders, and that taxpayers should fund abortion. Then there's open borders which he's in favor of.

Trump is absolutely correct, as here is Talarico and exactly what he believes pic.twitter.com/oe9gipJzpx

— Kwasny (@kwasny007) May 27, 2026

OK, but let's pick on one point, that God's "non-binary." Huh, aren't you the theologian, so-called "Talarico." God is, obviously, a spirit and transcends human sexuality, being God and all, but guess what, He's revealed Himself to us as masculine, as Father and Son. Why? His action towards us is analogous to a human man with regards a woman. Rainbow heretic Talarico doesn't get that and attempts to sidestep revealed truth with an appeal to rainbow-hued mystery. We have to wonder, does this former seminarian actually believe in the God revealed to us in the Incarnation, or has he pledged allegiance to some other deity?

via LL

Who knows, but EL SENOR takes a dim view:

“A strong Open Borders advocate, he is WEAK ON CRIME, believes there are 6 genders, is insulting to Jesus Christ, will never support the Military, was a big Mask Wearer until recently, and is a Vegan who dislikes meat, not exactly a good way to be if your wanting to win an Election in Texas.” 

Right, so let's see how far this latest rainbow contender fares in the Lonestar State. 

You Fool No One,

LSP

What Was It Like?

 

What was what like? London, of course. Much the same as it's ever been for the last few decades, with a few changes. Liverpool Street Station was greatly built up, I used to live there and it took a moment to recognize familiar landmarks. Downtown central's much the same as ever but with increasing hordes of tourists.

On the good side of the ledger, the Clubs are holding strong. Nice, bastions of civilization from a better age. Likewise, Green/Gay agitprop doesn't seem to be half of what it was a few years ago. Good, enough of the wretched rainbow flags already. 

Seriously, a couple of years ago you'd be assaulted by Green/Gay propaganda posters as you walked through the interminably awful corridors of Heathrow's Terminal Horrible Three. These have gone, thank God, maybe this useless, despicable, deceitful fad's nearing its well-deserved sell-by date, please.

Devil Witch

They/Them notwithstanding, there's a new fad in town, Re-Wilding. Yep, let your towns, cityscapes, roads, bridges, woods, fields, factories, houses and on revert back to nature. A bit like Detroit if you pause and think for a moment. Net result? Incredibly shabby verges and medians, and that unkept look which says virtue-signaling saves the local council money at the expense of your city looking like an abandoned slum.

No kidding, re-wilding, it's a thing; hey, gotta cut costs to afford all those immigrant votes. Whatever, here's two short anecdotes, both true.

The National Liberal Club: At the bar, reading the Spectator, and a crew swings in next to me. "Excuse me, sir." Quite all right, common ground. A little later it's revealed that my newfound neighbor's people built some great Sikh edifice in Birmingham. "Ah, Sikhs," I offered, "Sword arm of the Hindu faith." My new friend looked me in the eye and said, "If only," and we became friends. Not surprising, when you think on it, because we both went to the same school, all hail the Dragon, Oxford. At the end of old school conviv he asked me, "As a priest, what do you think of Islam?" I told him, in no uncertain terms, and he agreed. We'll meet again.

The Lamb & Flag: Covent Garden and here we are at this ancient pub, pints flowing freely, when lo and behold, a guy in red trousers, two breaster blazer, cigar in mouth and tinted glasses on eyes offers bystanders "delicious chocolates." Sure thing, thanks, fella. Next step? "Look here, guys, I know these people." Off you go then, and I did, "I like your crucifix," he had one around his neck, real gold thank you very much, "What's inscribed on the reverse?" He looked at me and I looked at him. "Deus Vult," he replied, the legend of the Crusade. Turns out my Turkish Mayfair pal, according to him, was one of the few families of his class to not  kow-tow to Islam. I told him to go to the Brompton Oratory, hope he does.

Point being, the Lawless London Caliphate isn't lost, at least not yet. There's plenty of diversity which opposes it, from Sikh to Turk, Hindu to Christian, so don't lose hope. That said, indigenous natives might want to start having babies again. Word to the wise.

Kizmet,

LSP

Memorial Day

 

Now that we're back at the Compound in the great state of Texas it's time to celebrate Memorial Day. For me, this means beer brats, currently in process, and honoring those who gave their lives. No small thing, to put it mildly. I won't bang on, but do say a prayer. Here's the awesome 1928 BCP:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

So yes, enjoy the holiday but don't lose sight of the nature of the event. That in mind, England was fun though if you set up in or around Whitehall, you're tempted to think pygmies in the steps of giants, or something like that.

More anon, cheers,

LSP

Out & About - An Update

 

Where exactly? You ask in that exasperated kind of way. Well I'll spare you the detail but I've been in the UK, in London, in the beating heart of what was once the greatest empire in the world. Alas no longer, but the place's architecture reflects its glorious past.

Speaking of which, many of the city's Clubs still remain and I love them all, each good in their various way. That said, I enjoy the Reform on Pall Mall, utterly congenial, and if you stay there you get breakfast in the Coffee Room (Dining Room), which ain't shabby. 

So week one was all about setting up in Pall Mall and entertaining old friends in pleasant surroundings. Week two began with Sung Mass at St. Peter's London Docks, which is thriving, followed by outstanding beef from the trolley at the East India Club on St. James Square. Man, I tell you, their Sunday beef is exceptional, try it out if you get the chanace.

Then, the following day, ride the rails to Cheltenham and behold the slightly faded splendour of this beautiful spa town which used to be your home back in the mists of time. Still lovely, no doubt about it, but somehow more shabby. A friend who lives there agreed, "It's because they don't clean the streets and there's far more louts." He had a point.

Cheltenham over, drift back to London and a few nights in Soho followed by a weekend at the Reform and Sunday Mass at the Brompton Oratory. I love the Oratory and you might too. Oriented Latin Novus Ordo, recording quality music and the place is packed, there must've been well over a thousand souls at the Solemn High on Sunday.

Next step. Stroll down Knightsbridge with one of your sisters for yet another perfect Sunday lunch at the East India, followed by tea at the In & Out. Hey, if it's not broke, don't fix it. And this week? Just taking it easy, striding about town and visiting old haunts and friends before flying back to the great state of Texas on Friday.

All this by way of update, analysis, ahem, to follow.

Cheers,

LSP

Shoot

 

"Do you even know what an actual firearm looks like, much less actually is, so-called LSP?" you ask in that wondering kind of tone, and I don't blame you. For a self-advertised Texan theological gun blog, this shallow kebob stand on the information superhighway is strangely silent about shooting. Maybe, you think, the PR was always a ruse.

Not so fast and steady on, all you punters. Shooting's definitely a part of the old LSP lifestyle, but in fairness to you it used to be more so. There's been an hiatus, a gap in the onetime daily pressure of finger on trigger, I admit that. But today everything changed.

A white limbed punter

"Join us for a shoot!" invited a friend across the airwaves, and so I did, climbing into the truck with a CZ O/U 20, a box of clays, thrower and a valupak of shells. A few minutes later I was at the ranch and saying hi to a fine body of men, all armed up with pistols, shotguns, ARs, an SKS, AK, HK, all kinds of levers and there you have it, a veritable cacophany of guns.

We set up three stations, skeet/shotgun, rifle, pistol and had at it. I went in for skeet and loved the quick presentation and sheer niftiness of the CZ 20, "Pull!" boom, skeet smoked quick as a flash. Everyone else had 12s and were envious because guess what, you can shoot a 20 all afternoon and not get a dislocated shoulder or cheekbone. Gets the job done with way less aggro, sorta thing. 

Seth beholds scope

Moving on to rifles, I enjoyed a .357 Magnum Cimmaron (?) lever, a beautiful rifle and, in the right hands, deadly. Levers, don't you think, are the forgotten "assault rifle," because presumably they don't have pistol grips and deadly exterior magazines. Well, my off-hand shooting with this repro classic wasn't very good but what a lot of fun to work the action and send rounds down range in hope of steel.

Next up, some pistol plinking at close range, and I enjoyed a S&W .22 revolver, what a lot of mechanical fun. Star of the show, apart from various full auto mods? A suppressed Bergara , chambered in 6.5 and topped with a worthy Leupold scope. 

Man, I tell you, that sleek little beast shot with unerring accuracy out to our max 400 yards steel and doubtless could have gone way further, all with factory ammo to boot. 1 pound trigger pull! Huh, clearly not something you're going to take out in the brush, I don't think, but most awesome at the long or longish distance range. Huge fun.

Then, as dusk drew in, we fell back to the ranch house for delicious food and tall tales of Thomist philosophy, urban planning, fly fishing, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, the Great Replacement, and all of that. You'll be interested to know that this house has a TOWER. Yes, a tower, and that suggestions for a minigun emplacement were well received.

There you have it, a good day was had by all. Have you noticed how free men can defend themselves and slaves can't?

2A,

LSP

All I Want Is A Tower

 

Some of you opt for Eagles' nests on the Mogollon Rim, others choose a few bucolic acres away from the madding crowd to set up Battlefarm Collectives and run chicken operations. Fair play, nothing wrong with that, at all, but I want a tower.

A tower with good overwatch and a commanding view of plain and sea, a tower which serves as a bastion of Faith and Civilization in a world fast descending into barbarism. On the ground floor there'd be a Hall, with massive fires and frequent feasting, also armories.

Upstairs you'll find bedrooms, Ladies' Living Rooms, more fires, and on the top of the thing, serious armament and maybe some kind of radar, perhaps a sound system to boot. This would play patriotic tunes to dismay third world savage invaders whilst the miniguns cut loose.

I believe you can buy these towers in Ireland or, in Texas, build them yourself.

Have at it,

LSP

MAY DAY

 

Well it's all a larf 'til you wake up and demon's gnawing on your pal's shin bone. Look, here's a video, warning -- language!

Terrifying, eh? Draw the moral as you take it.

Cheers,

LSP