Cain's Crime: The Proliferation of Weapons and the Targeting of Civilians in Contemporary War

Democracy requires a commitment to dialogue and deliberation, as well as a commitment to seek peaceful solutions. Is democracy possible in states that earn significant portions of their revenue from the manufacture and sales of arms, that give weapons away in huge numbers, and that turn quickly to violence in the face of difficulties? The proliferation of weapons is nearly as great a tragedy of the commons as global warming, and the evidence indicates that civilians are increasingly being targeted in wars. How large is the problem of war today? Given that the members of the UN Security Council are among the chief manufacturers of weapons, are there any useful mechanisms in place for limiting wars or the supply of deadly weapons? Is it time, in view of the callousness with which non-combatants are killed, to re-examine our basic reasons for valuing human life? Cain's Crime re-introduces an ethical theory popular at the dawn of the twentieth century and examines the extent of violence in the contemporary world, from neo-colonial wars, civil wars, freedom movements, and ethnic conflicts to the oldest war of all, the systematic and continuing murder of women in cultures where they are valued less than men. ""Cain's Crime is an extremely powerful book. It offers a perspective on global violence that is rarely seen but is of profound significance. The facts presented here are deeply disturbing, as is Tom Trzyna's thoughtful and judicious analysis. This is an urgent wake-up call, which needs an immediate response from every one of us."" --Susan Williams, University of London ""Trzyna's latest book represents a timely contribution to ongoing philosophical and ethical debates revolving around the proliferation of assault weapons. Written in an accessible, rigorous, and cogent fashion for a broad interdisciplinary audience, Cain's Crime persuasively supports the humanistic position that every human life matters. In a world in which the power of the military-industrial complex has spiraled out of control, countless scholars will derive inspiration from this fascinating study for many years to come."" --Keith Moser, Mississippi State University ""Tom Trzyna's book, Cain's Crime, is an important resource on war, the world arms trade, and civilization-saving ethical action to reverse trends that are killing us. The ways youth are taking on the NRA makes the book even more timely."" --Ron Young, Activist and author of Crossing Boundaries in the Americas, Vietnam and the Middle East Thomas Trzyna is the author of Blessed are the Pacifists: The Beatitudes and Just War Theory (2006), several studies of forgiveness, and books on philosophy, literature, mathematics education, international education, and other topics. A graduate of the Universities of California and Washington, he taught at The Ohio State University and Seattle Pacific University in addition to consulting with educational institutions in the U.S., Asia, Arabia, and Africa.Read less