Our Current State of War A "state of war" is a period in which two nations, parties, or even individuals are in open and armed conflict with each other. But how does this happen, and what would John Locke and President George W. Bush think about why a state of war arises? What actions must occur for war to exist? Is there a period of time that must be spent deliberating on the possibility of entering a state of war to determine its necessity? There is even a choice about it, or it arises throughout the human race as a sort of character trait, which sometimes must be expressed. If a state of war is inevitable, should the support of others be established, and at what point in this conflict does it become apparent that it has just entered a state of war? Is this idea of ​​a “state of war” similar or different when comparing the writings of John Locke to the actions of President Bush? To understand how a state of war occurs we must know what it is. John Locke defines a state of war by saying, “I should have a right to destroy that which threatens me with destruction… and a man may be destroyed who makes war upon him.” (Ch. 3 sec. 16, “Two Treatises of Government”) This gives a reasonable idea of ​​what war is, when it is necessary to enter a state of war, and how it is possible to enter it. Locke says that war is a response to a threat. A threat can be a physical attack or a verbal declaration of harm. Attack, or evidence of intent to harm, is therefore sufficient reason to declare a state or war. Having said this and given the current state of war between Iraq and the United States, can it be said, based on Locke's statement, that George W. Bush had sufficient reason to enter a state of war with Iraq? In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, President Bush said: "In Iraq a dictator is building and hiding weapons that could allow him to dominate the Middle East and intimidate the civilized world - and we will not allow it." The development of these weapons could be interpreted as a threat, and a threat against the civilized world would justify an interest in a state of war.