A Paradox

While studying Hemingway short stories, one of my brilliant International Baccalaureate students said this:

" War. Is it worth it? Can we ever say that it it necessary?
To some, the greater good is enough reason for sacrifice. But to others, the loss of even one human life makes [war] worthless. To be believers in the greater good, you must dehumanize the victims. To be the humanist, you must forget that any good could ever come out of war."

I thought this very interesting, and to an extent I think she is absolutely right. But I also think that, as usual, the gray areas of the adult world completely blur the black and white of the adolescent one - and the adolescent world tends to be very black and white (remember?). That being said, I think that I lean more toward the humanist side of things, especially when we are involved in an illegal, pointless war like the one we're stuck in now..