Excellent article and your points are spot on. The war making decisions have always been made by the executive branch since WW2 as you accurately point out. So much for following the Constitution. The right wing constitution strict interpretation crowd always ignores that war making clause.
The pathetic thing is that Congress doesn’t even get involved after the wars are started. The Vietnam War went on its merry folly way until the last year when Congress cut off the money. Ten years too late. The Iraq war was a total strategic mistake but Congress did nada.
This Red Sea thing is another little war but the media ignores it. Congress of course ignores it too. Congress is useless and dysfunctional. It is worrisome that we could stumble into a pre WW 1 era. Maybe we have.
I’ve hesitated to make pre WWI comparisons - they can get hyperbolic - but I also don’t think there’s any doubt: this is an object lesson on the risks of webbing alliances. One hopes we all know better now, but this could suck in a lot of actors if it gets out of hand.
Iran and Pakistan are exchanging missiles. Iran has hit into Iraq. Of course we are wacking moles in Yemen. Israel is determined to get every last Hamas. What do you think?
I think military confrontations are unpredictable and I’d rather not see our involvement in this one escalate. Just today, Israel struck an Iranian target in Syria, which adds another “front”, if you will, and since the US is the IDF’s piggy bank, we own a piece of that now. Israel is justified in going after Hamas. But if their way of doing it plunges the whole region into a deeper conflict - one in which we are a player - that makes it our problem too.
This is all such a mess. Netanyahu is a loose cannon right now and the US is in a pickle with Isreal. This is a very dangerous time over there and I don’t think we have our brightest minds in charge.
Thank you for addressing this......Wonderfully stated as usual!
Dave!
Excellent article and your points are spot on. The war making decisions have always been made by the executive branch since WW2 as you accurately point out. So much for following the Constitution. The right wing constitution strict interpretation crowd always ignores that war making clause.
The pathetic thing is that Congress doesn’t even get involved after the wars are started. The Vietnam War went on its merry folly way until the last year when Congress cut off the money. Ten years too late. The Iraq war was a total strategic mistake but Congress did nada.
This Red Sea thing is another little war but the media ignores it. Congress of course ignores it too. Congress is useless and dysfunctional. It is worrisome that we could stumble into a pre WW 1 era. Maybe we have.
I’ve hesitated to make pre WWI comparisons - they can get hyperbolic - but I also don’t think there’s any doubt: this is an object lesson on the risks of webbing alliances. One hopes we all know better now, but this could suck in a lot of actors if it gets out of hand.
I agree with you, even though I brought up pre WW1. Have to be careful with historical analogies.
The essential point is the uselessness of Congress and war. That is totally real.
Iran and Pakistan are exchanging missiles. Iran has hit into Iraq. Of course we are wacking moles in Yemen. Israel is determined to get every last Hamas. What do you think?
I think military confrontations are unpredictable and I’d rather not see our involvement in this one escalate. Just today, Israel struck an Iranian target in Syria, which adds another “front”, if you will, and since the US is the IDF’s piggy bank, we own a piece of that now. Israel is justified in going after Hamas. But if their way of doing it plunges the whole region into a deeper conflict - one in which we are a player - that makes it our problem too.
This is all such a mess. Netanyahu is a loose cannon right now and the US is in a pickle with Isreal. This is a very dangerous time over there and I don’t think we have our brightest minds in charge.
No, I don't either.