“Protecting U.S. shipping interests on the high seas is a perfectly legitimate constitutional function of the Federal government.”
Is it? Why? We control our territory under our laws. We have no say in other places against other people.
Well, if we didn’t buy essential needs from all over the world instead of making here you’d have a great point.
Notice I said essential.
If the U.S. is engaged in trade with Country X, and the ships carrying cargo between the two countries are being intercepted by the hostile forces of Country Y, then engaging in military action against Country Y is absolutely a legitimate function of the U.S. government.