Was WWII a just war?

During the beginning of WWII the United States was in isolation from the war. To try to stay out of the war we made the lend-lease Act that allowed for the U.S. that allowed for president Roosevelt to lend weapons to other countries that he feels necessary to protect the U.S. The United States also had the Neutrality Act 1939 that allows other countries to buy supplies from America. We finally came out of isolation when Japan attacked us at Pearl Harbor.
The first idea of a war theory for justice in the war was written by a single person. St. Thomas Aquinas made the Principles of a Just-War Theory. These principles were based on St. Augustine's version that said the war needed to be wage with legitimate authority and have the right intentions and just cause. The Just War Theory uses jus ad bellum, a justification for war, and jus in bello, a justified conduct of war. WWII, using Aquinas's Just War Theorem, is a just war for the United  States both in the justification for the war and the conduct of war.
In the Just War Theory Aquinas uses last resort, right intention and just cause to recognize if the reasons for entering the war were just, jus ad bellum. Last resort says a just war can be waged after consideration of a peaceful outtake. After then a force can be used as a last resort. Right intention is explaining that the intention if the war should be for peace and the use of force should be for justice. Finally Just Cause is that the war should be in response of a wrong doing or self-defense, to correct the inflicted wound. The United States used last resort, right intention and had a just cause for coming out of isolation and into the war.
The U.S. used the last resort against Japan. After trying to negotiate with them they had attack Pearl Harbor. We used just cause to attack them because we needed to use self-defense. Also we declared war on German, because they declared war on the U.S. first. Another thing that we did was made a plan for after we bombed Japan so it wasn't just revenge. The reason that we fought Germany was to try to stop the Nazis from domination.

Attack at Pearl Harbor  7 December 1941

More of the jus ad bellum principles of the Just War Theory was probability of success and legitimate authority. Legitimate authority is saying that a proper authority can wage war not just individuals. Probability of success has to do with a nation has to enter the war with the idea thatcher could win in some way. Otherwise it would not be a just war with a hopeless nation. Once again in part of the U.S.its mostly just.
The United States was a legitimate authority along with Britain, Japan, and the German Nazis. On the other hand with probability of success the nationalism of the country was pretty high, but we were forced in the war. This put pressure on us, but being in isolation made us ready for war. Especially with the home front, weapons, and food.
The Just War Theory also has the principles of being in the war, or jus in bello. They were proportionality and civilian casualties. Proportionality is justifying that for a just war the violence must be equal. A nation should not exceed what is necessary to avoid disproportionate military. Civilian Casualties says that violence must not be inflicted upon civilian lives directly and soldiers should try not to harm civilians. These principles that are showing what's just make the U.S. neutral.
When we bombed Japan with heavy damage against civilian lives. Although we did send in
groups to help with clean up and help for Japan after the war, making it neutral on our part. Also German soldiers were much younger than the United States, making it un proportional.

Two American Soldiers helping clean up Hiroshima 

America was very just compared to other countries such as Germany who killed any civilians possible. The United States has a just cause and a reasonable battles and our damage was backed up with help.

German soldiers squatting over civilians they killed

Why did the United States invade Cuba?

          The United States invaded Cuba to gain the natural resources that they supply all over the world.  Cuba's natural resources were a big factor in the invasion. Cuba exported tobacco, fruit, and sugar to the United States, these are very necessary resources to control. Controlling the natural resources in Cuba allows for the U.S. to control the heartland. Also American investors spent millions of dollars in Cuba.
          Cuba was constantly trying to gain independence from Spain.  The US has given that freedom to many places before and could eventually take control of its government. Spain put Cuba into reconcentration camps for "protection", but ended up being very grotesque and had horrible conditions, "Four hundred and sixty women and children thrown on the ground, heaped pell-mell as animals, some in a dying condition, others sick and others dead, without the slightest cleanliness, nor the least help. . .."( Excerpt from unsigned enclosure included with telegram sent by Fitzhugh Lee, U.S. Consul General in Cuba) Eventually the U.S. was able to control Cuba through the Plat Amendment, which allows for America to monitor the laws that they are passing.

          Lastly "Spain" exploded the warship Maine, a great American vessel, at Havana harbor.
It was an accident that could be blamed on the Spaniards for reason to go to war. The probability of it being an accident was unreasonable, because it's hard to blow up a ship from the inside. Also the probability of it being Spain was very slim, knowing that they didn't have the time or materials to accomplish this, "He [Capt. Schuley]was not prepared to believe that the Spanish or Cubans in Havana were supplied with either the information or the appliances necessary to enable them to make so complete a work of demolition, while the Maine was under guard…." (Excerpt from New York Times, February 17, 1898) The Spaniards had no reason to blow up the Maine, and in doing so they would be beat in war easily. Although there is reason to believe that it was the U.S. that made it explode to start the war to gain control of Cuba, this is a more probable answer to who blew it up.

The U.S. Invaded Cuba on therms of gaining natural resources and the heartland. Cuba was already trying to win independence from Spain, and struggling doing so. Another good point is the fact that they imported goods around the world, and has so many precious resources. All of these thing made it so that America wanted to gain control over them. After the Maine blew up, the U.S. blamed it on the Spaniards and war had begun. It wasn't hard to beat them and gain control over Cuba. In the end they had their own government and independence, but the Plat Amendment made so they America can decide what amendments and laws can or cannot be passed. The United States accomplish the goal of winning independence for Cuba and gaining trust with them.

Statue of Liberty Change of Meaning

          151 feet tall, 22 stories high, 225 tons is what is now know as the Statue of Liberty. Though the meaning of this iconic symbol has changed over the years. When it was first built by Fredrick-Auguste Bartholdi it was seen as liberty from America. People of Rome believed it was the goddess Libertas, in classical Rome meaning liberty and freedom. It was also a symbol of slavery and opposition. After the Spanish American War it was American Might. Not until the 1900's was it seen by Immigrants as a welcome and a symbol of hope. In 1883 Emma Lazarus's donated her poem, "The New Colossus" for the Statue of Liberty. This poem drove immigrants there, saying that it offered refuge to immigrants. 

 The Judge:The Proposed Emigrant  Dumping Site

Not all people saw the statue as a good symbol. To the middle class American the newspaper posted this political cartoon.This cartoon shows the Statue of Liberty as an Immigrant dumping ground. It shows European garbage ships dumping immigrants onto the Statue of Liberty. This cartoon also shows the Lady Liberty pulling up her robe because of the immigrants, as she has a stern face. At the bottom it states, "If you are going to make this island a garbage heap, I'm going back to France."

         September 11, 2001 changed the meaning of the statue in a big way. The Eighth Avenue and West 48th Street fire department was the first to respond to the collapsing of the Worlds Trading Center. This department lost 15 of their men in this devastating event. A Statue of Liberty replica stood at this station, it was unknown who put it there. People put messages, pictures, flags, and other memory's from their loved ones. http://ladyliberty.911memorial.org/#/Explore/1  In this website is an interactive picture of the famous Statue of Liberty replica.

        After 9 11 the Statue of Liberty was closed until 2004 the lower deck opened back up. The statue was seen as a place of attack during these times. Especially since July 30, 1916 when Germans caused a explosion damaging the statue at $2 million damage. It was always closing and opening due to fear of attack.
          The Statue of Liberty has always been a powerful figure throughout history. No matter what it was symbolizing at the time it had a meaning. It was hope, a goddess, pointless, a place for freedom, a dumping site, a place of attack, but it was always liberty.


Sources
http://history1800s.about.com/od/tothenewworld/f/Statue-of-Liberty-and-Immigration.htm
http://www.nps.gov/stli/historyculture/the-immigrants-statue.htm
http://ladyliberty.911memorial.org
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1897552,00.html
http://ladyliberty.911memorial.org/#/Explore/1