Russian attack on country of Georgia

[deadbeater]

Originally Posted by Radar

As usual UG is completely wrong. The President is not commander in chief until called into service by a formal declaration of war. Congress may only make a formal declaration of war when it is in the common defense of Americans. Congress is not allowed to "authorize" the president to make war. They are given no such power.

One problem and on this one point I concede to Urbane. Since Washington had the Navy attack the Barbary pirates off what's now Libya, just about every US president unilaterally engaged its troops in international conflicts, some that are virtually undeclared wars. Radar, you will have to condemn the whole lot of US presidents who had to contend with a usually indecisive Congress.

What is McCain going to attack Russia with? His false teeth? The only other way is nuke, but you don't think that Mr. 'bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran' would do it, would he?

[Griff]

Jefferson

[Radar]

Originally Posted by deadbeater

One problem and on this one point I concede to Urbane. Since Washington had the Navy attack the Barbary pirates off what's now Libya, just about every US president unilaterally engaged its troops in international conflicts, some that are virtually undeclared wars. Radar, you will have to condemn the whole lot of US presidents who had to contend with a usually indecisive Congress.

What is McCain going to attack Russia with? His false teeth? The only other way is nuke, but you don't think that Mr. 'bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran' would do it, would he?

Mentioning the Barbary Pirates does nothing to bolster your position. The Constitution allows the use of the military to protect American ships from pirates. It does not allow the federal government to use the military to carry out regime change, or nation building, or humanitarian aid, or starting unprovoked, non-defensive, unwarranted wars.

I do condemn every president who has made war without a declaration of war. Presidents have zero authority to make war; only Congress may do that, and then only when it is in America's defense, and then only when a formal declaration of war has been made.