UtilitarianWarArguments

Arguments against ...

immediate utility calculation fails

Disputes : Iraqi's would be better off with a war.

The idea that the majority of ordinary Iraqi's want war is likely to be propaganda. That they'd like regime change is probably true.

That they'd be better off with a war may be hard to demonstrate. For those die, it's unlikely that the calculation works out to their advantage. Many others may undergo terror, hardship, loss of (conscripted) loved ones etc.

war gives rise to long term harm

A case can be made that Bin Laden is motivated by hatred of US troops in Saudi Arabia. Hence the knock on effects of the first Iraq war include the September 11th attack and casualties. How do we calculate the total damage of a second war in Iraq and the increased polarization of Islamic and Western worlds?

This may be mitigated ... eg. maybe responsibility for harm doesn't propagate beyond the next free agent's decision.

(Such issues of PersonalResponsibility are usually the sticking point between left and right commentators.)