Intentions or Results?

I think intentions matter more than results. After all, good intentions are meant to produce good results. Without the proper intentions, the wanted results seem unlikely. The response of the world to Nazi genocide shows a case where certain intentions created other results that were indeed “good.” In the case of World War II, it’s not that the world response to Nazi aggression was wrong, or had bad intentions, it’s just that they reacted at a later time. The world went in with the intentions of putting a stop to Nazi aggression, and as a result stopped the genocide of World War II. So is the world worth of shame for not intervening earlier? After World War I, it makes sense why the world was staying out of foreign affairs, but I don’t think this justifies not acting in effort to stop inhumane atrocities.

In modern times, it’s easier to judge our acts by our intentions, because the results aren’t always fully played out. In the Middle East, for example, we brought in forces in an effort to set up democratic governments. Our intentions were right, but the wanted results seem intangible. Instead, we’ve caused the death of many soldiers and civilians.