Ten commandments in modern societies -1

Here comes the first of ten semi-serious blogs about how to view the modern societies, their decisions, discourse, and activities.  The only thing not serious is the word "commandments", which also forces the concoction of ten statements. 

"No matter how much you love your daughter, if you make the wrong choice between war and peace, you deserve no respect as a human being."

This statement is based on the truism that the relative significance of almost everything can be quantified or estimated and compared.  There are ample examples in the daily functions of every person and society.  We can tell if a certain item or activity is good or bad, or, alternatively, better or more worth-telling than another, and consciously or subconsciously use the comparisons to make our choices hundreds of times a day.  So, if you could buy the same bread for $1 instead of $5 at the same place and time, you would pay only $1.

Three points worthy of making about this statement.

First is, why war and peace?   In essence, the wrong choice between war and peace means the war of aggression, which has produced and will produce the most destruction and the most severe suffering in human history and contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole (Nuremberg Tribunal).  Even if you are not directly involved in the fighting and suffering, as James Madison averred: Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded.  Of course, self-defense is still justified. 

Second is that the intentions should also be considered, regarding the decisions and consequences (not just about war and peace).  A careful analysis may come to a reasonable conclusion about what people thought, sometimes many years later.

Third is its universality.  Comparisons can be applied much more broadly than many people usually do.  The more one realizes this, the more knowledgeable or intelligent one is.

In light of all these, this statement is clearly the most important, hence #1, of the Ten Commandments.