Trade, War, Socialism & Capitalism

[La_Serpiente]

Trade, War, Socialism & Capitalism

Thursday night's wide-ranging and refreshingly substantive debate between the four remaining contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination did little to slow the momentum of frontrunner John Kerry as the likely-to-be-definitional Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses approach. Kerry outmaneuvered his chief opponent on a key issue, and showed some skills that will likely serve him well in a November contest with Republican George W. Bush. But the Massachusetts senator made at least one statement – regarding presidential war making -- that ought to concern anyone who still thinks Congress should have a say on matters of war and peace.

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Trade, War, Socialism & Capitalism

[H2O Man]

1. Great post.

Very few people seem to understand the original intent of the founding fathers in regard to presidents and congress and war. Except for "national emergencies," there are no times when a president is supposed to enter the military into conflict. The Congress alone has that right. Presidents, including Honest Abe, but more so after the Civil War, have ignored this. Both parties are guilty. Lincoln wrote that the congressional war powerws were all that stood between the office of president and the throne of a king. Jefferson wrote extensively about the need for the public to vote any president who violated this proceedure out of office. A proper understanding of this concept could play an important role in 2004. (PS: some people will say that the F.F. could not have predicted "terrorists;" actually, untrue ... they dealt with "pirates," often from around Tripoli, but without a national identity. The WPA applied equally in these cases.)