The Authority To Wage War

[steve_bank]

One thing that shld be a glaring warning to us is the ability of Putin to wage full scale war on hos own initiative and agenda. It was reported that Trump at one point wnated to invade Venezuela and had to be talked out of it.

I wonder if this is what the Trump republicans really want. A dicttor with unlimited power.

Interpretation: Declare War Clause | The National Constitution Center

constitutioncenter.org

The Constitution’s Article I, Section 8 specifically lists as a power of Congress the power “to declare War,” which unquestionably gives the legislature the power to initiate hostilities. The extent to which this clause limits the President’s ability to use military force without Congress’s affirmative approval remains highly contested.


Most people agree, at minimum, that the Declare War Clause grants Congress an exclusive power. That is, Presidents cannot, on their own authority, declare war. Although it is somewhat more contested among scholars and commentators, most people also agree that Presidents cannot initiate wars on their own authority (a minority argues that Presidents may initiate uses of force without formally declaring war and that Congress’s exclusive power to “declare war” refers only to

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I wonder if this is what the Trump republicans really want. A dicttor with unlimited power.

I'd say that every trump republican wants to be their own dictator. So any dictator gets their nod.

 

[bilby]

Declaring war is soooo nineteenth century.

Countries don't declare war anymore; They just start fighting.

It's completely irrelevant who has the authority to declare war, when the President has the authority to order military action against another nation.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Declaring war is soooo nineteenth century.

Countries don't declare war anymore; They just start fighting.

It's completely irrelevant who has the authority to declare war, when the President has the authority to order military action against another nation.

Exactly. The president has to have the authority to engage in military action. That's effectively the authority to declare war.

 

[TV and credit cards]

For the US, short war if congress starves it for cash. And no longer than 60+30 days/drawdown by the War Powers Act without congressional approval.
Of course congressional fortitude would be required here.

And for Russia, seemingly conscripts can legally refuse to fight in a “special military operation”.

 

[bilby]

For the US, short war if congress starves it for cash. And no longer than 60+30 days/drawdown by the War Powers Act without congressional approval.
Of course congressional fortitude would be required here.

And for Russia, seemingly conscripts can legally refuse to fight in a “special military operation”.

Ninety days doesn't seem like a very short war by modern all-in standards.

Ninety minutes should suffice, according to Tom Lehrer's 1965 classic:

 

[Patooka]

Special Military Operation, Police Action, Humanitarian Crisis, Task Force, Defensive Measure, Honouring Our Agreements, Standing With Our Allies, Deploying In Response to (insert justification), Containing the Situation and my favourite - We Won't Fucking Announce it and the Media Won't Give Two Shits Anyways Because Taylor Swift Pegged Justin Beiber at a Party (and there are photos OMFG!!!!).

No declaration of war required.

I wonder if this is what the Trump republicans really want. A dicttor with unlimited power.

Close. They want to be on the same side as the dictator with unlimited power.

 

[Swammerdami]

There are many strong similarities between Donald John and Vladimir Vladimirovitch. But there are at least two huge differences with regard to starting a major war unilaterally.

(1) Donald J. simply lacks the Balls that Vladimir V. has. Again, the reason T***p is afraid of the blackmail tapes is not that he'd be shown cavorting with young hookers — his base would lap that up. It's that the tapes contain close-ups of his limp member with T***p whimpering about forgetting his blue diamond-shaped pills.

(2) The top Generals listen when Vladimir speaks. He's probably smarter than them and, anyway, they don't want to end up in Siberia or in front of a firing squad. Generals in the War Room with T***p, on the other hand, would just be rolling their eyes and asking the White House physician to adjust the Potus dosages. T***p wouldn't even be able to pronounce the names of his selected target(s).