[uncbob]

"Of course, an entire people cannot have so perfect an understanding as its statesmen of the causes that justify, even require, going to war. Human history has taught us time and time again that as the simple faith of the peasant necessarily lacks much of the precision of the theologian's doctrine, so the judgment of any nation will always lack much of the sophistication of the statesman's subtle reasoning."

Well I thought that is why the founders decided the act of declaring war should be decided in the halls of congress where the statesmaen will have a chance to explain their subtle reasoning to the peoples representatives

[Polnick]

Pure crap. World history is replete with examples of the people's realization of the follie of the course the national leadership takes. Witness the Vietnam war. The "leaders" get so ego involved in the course they set as to be blind to alternatives. I will argue national interest with George Bush any day.