Event horizon: The immorality of modern war

War can be justified when it is conducted between soldiers, who are professionally contracted mercenaries of the state and there is only a marginally damaging effect on the environment. However, in the modern context, war is not justified because of the scale of destruction which is implicit in the use of weapons of mass destruction. This destruction is not only a threat to humanity but also to the earth that we inhabit. There are admittedly some instances in which states do use coercive force against one another and it is in these instances that we ought to follow the norms set forth in pacifist texts such as Kant's Perpetual Peace. Therefore, I am arguing that although peace through diplomatic means would be the most just means of dispute resolution, states still do engage in wars and those wars should be governed by comprehensive pacifist theories.