When the House of Representatives adjourned on March 17 for a week-long recess, few expected it was doing so on the eve of a major war. But indeed, within hours the UN had approved military strikes against Libya, and by March 19, the US was at war.
Only it’s a war that President Obama started without even a cursory congressional vote. The previous two major wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, may never have been formally declared as the Constitution requires, but there were at least flimsy pretexts stemming from other congressional measures.
Libya, however, has no such pretext. It isn’t even nominally part of the “global war on terror,” Congress didn’t vote on anything Libya-related, and the president appears to be using the UN Security Council vote as a substitute for a congressional one.
Which isn’t sitting well with Congress, as a number of Republicans and Democrats slammed the attacks as expensive, unwise, and lacking a real plan. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D – OH) even suggested that launching the attack as Obama did was an impeachable offense.
President Obama insisted that the attack was vital because “the writ of the international community must be enforced.” But with even the Arab League, which was an advocate of the UN resolution, bashing the US for its heavy-handed strikes, his claims of international support for his actions are shaky. They are also, in the question of accountability to Congress, very much beside the point.
This is nothing more than a desperate attempt by Obama to get a 'win' under his belt in preparation for the 2012 election cycle. What better way than to unleash the firepower on yet another Arab nation that lacks the ability to effectively fight back?
Sadly, I am getting the feeling we will never see another Presidency that passes by without us getting into a conflict of some sort- it's just too much of a temptation to be a 'War President'. We are very, very good at getting into wars and staying in the field- we're just no good at ending them. It should be more of an honor for the POTUS to be known as a 'Peace President', but I don't see it happening in my lifetime.
I can't think of a presidency that wasn't involved in some kind of fighting.
"the writ of the international community must be enforced" – this is government-speak for saying a few supposed "representatives" from some of the world's largest criminal gangs (states) got together and decided to give themselves the authority to commit their slaves (citizens) to a war in Africa. If you want to help the rebellions, then do it with your own money, weapons and lives!
gosh – how glaring can it be? what y’all are seeing is an illegal alien (aka US president or global dictator) conducting his own private war using US subjects to pay for it and US military to fight it. i don’t know how much farther things have to go before people see that is is “Game Over” – intelligent globalists win, stupid Americans lose. ah – life is just entertainment anyways. war keeps people excited between Superbowls.
Get use to these unilateral political and legal decisions by our government, because this is part of the step by step process to get everyone acustomed to how things are going to work in America, regardlessof which party is in power.
when Israel destroyed Sadam's nuke plant built by the french everyone( not to minimize the death of the technician there) said tsk tsk how could they do such a thing! the answer is with the help of everyone who damned the operation in public.
Ha Ha feckless congress is not being paid attention to. Just like ancient Rome before a horse, Incitatus , was made a Senator. With 2 + world wars going on maybe they shouldn't have vacations? BTW, is Obama still in old Brazil, I thought Ms O and the girls were looking good.
i think he ia doing the right thing for a change . for the first time i back President Obama on this .