Beware of the dangers of centrifugal force: let’s ‘reason together’ for peace in Ukraine

As we political laymen try to understand—and the world’s statesmen try to resolve—the crimes and tragedies in Ukraine, we encounter an element common to all military crises: the danger of centrifugal force.

Because good-hearted citizens may ordinarily view political and military matters through emotional lenses, we may react imprudently to the crises around us. I do not mean to criticize “good hearts.” Sheer emotion, however, is rarely a reliable guide to wise practical or political judgment, and uncontrolled emotion runs the risk, as the Catechism admonishes us, of being “perverted by the vices” (1768).

This, in short, is the “centrifugal force” to which I refer: things can spin rapidly out of control if and when passion, rather than prudence, rules the day. We trust our leaders to provide calm and thoughtful analysis. As President Truman once observed, however, “A statesman is a politician who has been dead for 10 or 15 years.” Our political leaders are hardly immune to the impulsive riptides of the day. Too often, we turn to our leaders for “fish,” and we receive, instead, “stones” (cf. Matt 7:9).

Military planning and execution depend upon the virtue, vision, and valor of “capable men” (Exod 18:25). Keen competence without noble character is tyrannical; noble character without keen competence is torpid. Wisdom, I fear, is not the norm.

That we should not overreact is vitally important. The passions of the moment can seize the minds and hearts of both people and politicians. A kind of synergy can result, leading to a cycle of violence masquerading as a crusade for justice.

The French stateman Talleyrand (1754-1838) once said that the essence of wise politics is “Surtout, pas trop de zele” (“Above all else, not too much zeal”). Be wary, then, of excessive enthusiasm for any cause. Keep in mind that original sin affects all people in all countries.

Conflicts that have been raging, overtly or covertly, for hundreds of years will not be solved by some political or military deus ex machina. Diplomatic success is measured in inches, not miles, and in decades rather than in days.
The realist observer of global politics studies national interests and not merely motives; evaluates capabilities, not only intentions; and considers factors of power, not just proclamations of political pieties.

Political judgment must, of course, be rooted in what is objectively true, but it is grounded as well in what is practicable. Indeed, the statesman nobly attempts to effect linkage between what ought to be and what can be.
Tentative peace in Ukraine, and elsewhere, will be achieved only by morally serious leaders who can in fact “reason together” (Is 1:18; 43:26). Without leaders’ ability and desire to reason—to see personalities and events in generous perspective—peace will invariably be thwarted. Unless peace is the consequence of a shared image of justice among negotiators and the governments they represent, peace will remain a chimera.

In the meantime, we must avoid exacerbating circumstances by encouraging wild or unrestrained policies. In the U.K., one traffic sign advises motorists: “Do not enter roundabout until you see your exit.” There is a political lesson there.

We are not mistaken in judging the actions of aggressors, such as Putin, and then charting a reasoned course of diplomatic and, if necessary, military action to contain or to reverse such aggression. Be leery, though, of anyone who suggests that intractable international problems can be resolved by “progressive” humanitarian policies or by military strikes. The most
serious global problems may be managed or manipulated, but they will not be eliminated as long as sin permeates the earth.

DEACON JAMES H. TONER, PH.D., is professor emeritus of leadership and ethics at the U.S. Air War College, a former U.S. Army officer, and author of numerous articles, books, essays, and reviews, including multiple columns in The Catholic Thing, Crisis Magazine, Homiletic & Pastoral Review, The Imaginative Conservative, One Peter Five, and The Wanderer. He has taught at Notre Dame, Norwich, Auburn, and Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He has also served as “Distinguished Visiting Chair of Character Development” at the U.S. Air Force Academy.