Posted on 05/24/2002 1:01:38 PM PDT by mparker
Viewing the remarkable retrenchment of American foreign policy the last few days (for example, here, here, and here), the question must be asked: Where did it go wrong? Where did America's resolve first flag?
In 1812, following several incidences of interference in US sovereignty, Congress declared war on England.
In 1846, following disagreements and border conflicts over Texas' southern border, Congress declared war on Mexico.
In 1892, following the mysterious explosion of a US ship in a Spanish port, Congress declared war on Spain.
In 1917, following the discovery of a plot between Germany and Mexico for the invasion of the US, Congress declared war on Germany and her allies.
In 1941, following the attack on the US possession Pearl Harbor (Hawaii wasn't a state then, of course), Congress declared war on Japan and her allies.
In 1993, following a bombing attack on the World Trade Center, Congress fails to declare war on Islamic terrorists and their allies.
In 1998, following synchronized attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Congress fails to declare war on Islamic terrorists and their allies.
In 2000, following the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, Congress fails to declare war on Islamic terrorists and their allies.
In 2001, following the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon, Congress fails to declare war on Islamic terrorists and their allies.
Given an embarrassing excess of provocation, Congress passed resolutions of support for the president, resolutions of condemnation of terrorism, and aid packages for the airline industry. Oh, and it took over the airline security business.
But it did not declare war on the enemies who, in both word and deed, had declared war on us.
An "Authorization Of The Use Of Force" is a fine and good thing. But it is not a declaration of war. It imposes considerable congressional oversight in the conduct of the war, limiting the president in exercising his constitutional role as commander-in-chief, keeping one hand tied behind his back to congress can keep a close eye on it. It gives legal status to the role of political bickering and maneuvering.
It is a good way to ensure that we do not win this conflict.
And it took just two days after Sept 11 for Congress to fail.
The declaration of war is a serious thing, not to be undertaken lightly. It is serious because it commits the military to forceful conflict. It is serious because it commits the president to the prosecution of that war as the primary national interest. It is serious because it commits congress to supporting that war as the primary national interest. It is serious because commits the people to supporting that war as the primary national interest.
It is a considered instrument for focusing the entire resources of the United States in the defense of itself. It forces the the State Department to act in ways that support that war. It forces congress to pay attention to the issues of importance. It reorients the political debate around the most effective way to destroy our national enemies, instead of the usual topic of destroying the other part. And it enforces that concentration to the exclusion of all other distractions.
All of which have been conspicuously missing in recent months.
I don't know enough of the history of the early part of the Korean War to know if a DoW against N. Korea and later China were considered and why they weren't made.
Take your pick...
Wasn't a US base in S. Korea (Camp Hansen?) overrun by the North Koreans during the early hours of the Korean War?
BTW, the fact that it was a UN operation was a fig-leaf. The Russians were boycotting the UN when the authorization vote was taken in the Security Council. Soviet pilots flew MiG-15's against the USAF for most of the war.
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