The war powers act – What’s up Mr. President?

Rand Paul and five other US senators have asked in a letter to President Obama about:

the statutory sixty-day period for you to terminate the use of the United States Armed Forces in Libya under the War Powers Resolution

Further, it seems not matter that the President did not inform Congress about the use of the US military there as required by law. Rand Paul stated clearly ‘this is the law it is on the books’. It is public law 93-148. How can you argue with that? Just because you are the President or do not like the law, you still are not above it.

Article one Section 8 of the US constitution is clear about the Congress’s role about war. Read the constitution yourself.

war powers act
The war powers resolution keeps the President from acting like a king.

From child like thinking about war and US foreign policy to reality

As a child growing up in New England with long winters I had a lot of time to spend indoors. As a child of 10 to 15 years old I was studied military history for countless hours a day and played intricate war games  producted by a company called SPI (I visited the HQ in NYC once and meet the President of the company).

With maps spread out all over the floor and thousands of pieces that represented military units, my friend George and I would  play every variation and scenario of war historical and hypothetical all centered on war, and we were the leaders.

If you asked me at the time about US foreign policy, I would have parroted the fathers in the neighborhood who worked for defense contractors. They said things like we needed to have a strong military as we were the policemen of the world or the liberals want to undermine it all.

I even considered going to West Point but my mother would have nothing to do with it.

When I was a child and thought like a child. What is beyond me is that grown men like the President of the United States thinks like the 19th century queen of England. It is not just President Obama that has ignored the Wars power act, but basically all the Presidents.

John McCain, the man who said ‘The United States should stay in Iraq for 100 years if  we have to’ says it is OK that Obama ignores this US law because it is unconstitutional. The last I check, judges not a loose cannon politician interpret the law.

Obama’s double standard about the law

Obama, the same man who replied to a question about why Private Manning was held under horrible conditions without a trial, replied ‘He broke the law and we are a country of laws’ . 1. Last I check people are innocent until proven guilty. 2. It’s OK for Obama to break the law?

What is the war powers act?

It is an US law that keeps the checks and balances of government honest. To prevent the President from acting like a king. It is a law that says congress decides on war and the President is the man on the white horse leading the change once war has been declared. The President has 60 days to be a cowboy and play with the military without a declaration of war, however he must notify congress. After 60 days he becomes somewhat of a military dictator. This is because in a democracy, the people represented by congress, decide  on a declaration of war, the President who is only a servant of the people is the commander-in-chief once war has been declared.

The history behind the War Powers act

The war powers act was passed in 1973 by over a 2/3 majority in congress. This overload a presidential veto (Nixon like Obama did not like it). The reason the wars power act was passed was we had just fought a ten-year plus war in Vietnam called a ‘police action’.

The term police action make you think there are cops and robbers chasing each other. It was not. Many people died in an undeclared war, complete with high civilian casualties, innocent American youth coming back in black body bags, chemical agents, war crimes and CIA secrets integrations. How is this now a war? I used to watch it on the CBS evening news and it looked like war to me.

The President clearly over stayed his right to direct US forces based on a temporary situation with choosing sides in the civil war of the oil rich country of Libya. I do not doubt his motives are good, I guess. That is, to secure a free flow of foreign oil for the US, but at least run it by congress as the law requires.

That is why the people of the United States, represented by congress, both the house and the senate passed this law. To make sure the executive branch does not abuse their power and become a King (or queen).

The designers of the constitution, the founding fathers wanted the collective judgement of Congress and the President, not one or the other to determine something so important as battle.

It is an abuse of power because the executive branch ignored the war powers act.

Why I oppose war

I am not against the idea of a just war, that is the United States has a right to defend itself if attacked. I am against unconstitutional foreign wars and entangling alliances. I am against the US spending your money and money to help others in that way. A few missiles are a few million dollars which we do not have.  I mean if the US really wants to help people, just send the same money to children’s charities abroad or at home directly, rather than get involved in another oil war. Or give the money to me so I as an American citizen can buy a house for my family.

I have suffered a reasonable amount in life and have become more aware of other people’s suffering.  I have grown to realized that people are not chessmen you move on a board and certainly a President has no right to do this unless granted so by the collective voices of the people represented by congress. I use to play board games based on war. They were games for a child. When I see the President thinking this way, it makes me question his judgement as a leader and defender of the constitution.

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