Replies

To: exodus
"...Oh and BTW, Jefferson, for all of the " good " that he did, was also pretty bad , re Libertarian positions. He kept slaves, he was a profligate, and had a losuy take on some foreign policy matters. Heck, he did NOT even bother to go to Congress, so that they could " declare war ", before he went after the Barbary pirates. He also almost got us involved in the French Revolution !"
# 175 by nopardons
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Jefferson ASKED for a Congressional Declaration of War.

His political opponent Hamilton, a believer in a strong central government, stated that a declaration of war wasn't necessary, as the United States had been attacked.

Hamilton won the political battle, leaving Jefferson in the position of going to war without a declaration, or failing to do his duty, as Commander-in-Chief, to protect American shipping from attack.

Jefferson went to war without a Declaration of War, but he did have a resolution from Congress authorizing action against the pirates, specifically naming the nation of Tripoli as our enemy.

Go back and reread some more American history books, that aren't rivisionistic. Hamilton wasn't president; Jefferson was. Tom did NOT bother to ask Congress to declare war. WHY ? Becuase he knew that he shouldn't, when dealing with nonstate terror; that's why ! Tripoli wasn't attacking us; the pirates were. The Caliph/ Pasha / whatever the title of the man was, of Tripoli, was, of course, aiding and abetting the pirates; however, he was more like Sadam, or the Saudi princes, in their dealings with OBL and al Quaeda.

Now, do you care to keep ignoring the fact that Jefferson almost got us into the French Revolution, or not ? How about the facts that he was personally irresponsible, a wastrel and a spendthrift, profligate to the nth degree, where money was concerned, and thou he wrote that " ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL , he didn't live by that that position.

Actually, never mind, facts, unless cherrypicked and rearranged, to fit your own delusions, don't matter one white to you.