Ex-Officials Offer Plan to Revamp War Powers Act »
Posted by: Beau7890 2 months agoTwo former secretaries of state have declared the War Powers Act of 1973 obsolete and proposed a new system of closer consultation between the White House and Congress before American forces go into battle.
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Beau78902 months ago
Here is the op-ed written by James Baker and Warren Christopher, who served as Secretaries of State in the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, respectively.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/opinion/08bak...
They make a good case, and though there's still room for reactionary moves in their proposal (in case of "emergencies"), there's no doubt that more careful bipartisan consideration should be given before we enter into armed conflicts around the globe.
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Goppy2 months ago
I consider this an excellent topic of discussion for the nation.
I would liek to add a particular, pointed question:
Should the Presdient of The United States be permitted to plunge our nation into arbitrary war?
Should we allow Propaganda and Lies to be used in urging America to go to war?
Should there be a 'time process' put in place in cases of 'Arbitrary War' so that our nation is not committed to excruciatingly long - drawn out commitments that drain our nation of life and treasury?
Should there be a Penalty - or at least a 'Truth And Reconciliation for Accountability' for leaders in Goverment who promote War as a form of International Diplomacy?
Questions liek this are essential.
Course, I happen to know all the answers to the above questions.
Speaking for All Christian Conservatives ... as ADAMANT supporters of ALL things Neo-Con ... we PRAYERFULLY support ALL Republicans and NEO-CONS in war makin.
And are AGAINST Liburals doin the same.
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JohnQPublicComment removed: User banned.
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Lurch1 month, 4 weeks ago
Now that a Democrat is more than 50% likely to take the WH, expect a lot of flip-flopping by neocon wingnuts like James Baker on presidential powers.
Just don`t expect to ever hold guys like Baker and his ilk accountable for the damage they did to the Constitution and our laws while their boy was in power.
Baker is slick like nobody`s business. Destroy the law, then blame it on the law. He makes Bill Clinton look like sandpaper.
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Beau78902 months ago
Pragmatism can be a virtue (even in these post-Cold War days), especially when one considers the destruction wrought by basing policy decisions on ideology while excluding consideration of their consequences.
But the plan Baker and Christopher outline (see the link in my first comment) is not all that radical. It's based on the fact that the War Powers Resolution is considered by almost everyone to be unconstitutional and needs reworking.
The main effect of implementing Baker's and Christopher's ideas is to give more careful bipartisan consideration to any thought of sending Americans into battle. Surely you don't have a problem with that?
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jimdoze2 months ago
I agree with you about pragmatism (in its literal sense)... in fact, I believe that pragmatism is one of the higher virtues in the formulation of foreign policy and use of the military. The problem with the old Realpolitik folks is that the world has passed them by. Their pragmatism is based on a set of assumptions that is no longer valid... much as the French did so glaringly prior to WWII.
Now, as far as "the destruction wrought by basing policy decisions on ideology while excluding consideration of their consequences", I assume you mean U.S. involvment in Iraq. Frankly, I see just the opposite. Iraq was an explosion waiting to happen. Realpolitik would suggest kicking that can down the road... or worse, rearming Saddam as a counter to Iran. Frankly, the only pragmatic solution was was to do what we did, utilizing the resources we had available.
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jimdoze2 months ago
"give more careful bipartisan consideration to any thought of sending Americans into battle"
Yes, I probably would have a problem with that, depending on a very careful consideration of its wording. I see it as likely hamstringing the executive branch and subjecting the whole process in a decision to deploy military force to analysis paralysis. It would effectively preclude the use of military force in any situation that was not a direct corollary to Pearl Harbor. In today's world, most of the bad guys know history better than members of congress do. Never mind world opinion. They would dance freely, poking and jabbing at us or cavorting through someone else's fields, yet avoiding direct Pearl Harbor type confrontations as Gulliver remained tied down by the Lilliputians of our own congress.
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Searchbeam1 month, 4 weeks ago
I thin a non-partisan consideration is more appropriate, considering that each of these two parties are known to slip sneaky mickeys into the legislation in the dark of night when nobody's watching.
In my view, every new piece of legislation must be in FULL PUBLIC VIEW for at least two weeks, posted on the Internet, newspapers and Post offices (right next to the FBI's "Most Wanted" list) so that people can read and comment on it before it becomes a law.
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berkeley2 months ago
i'm skeptical of anything that comes out of the mouth of either of these guys.
both participated in getting us into this mess. both are career insiders who would speak in favor of the unitary executive. their whole pitch is a cover-story for presidential power.
congress has already given up the ghost. their proposal does not change that at all.
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Beau78902 months ago
Well, their proposal is a suggestion that Congress get its act together and fix the War Powers Resolution. I think their solution is only a start, and wouldn't go far enough to restoring the balance of power. But it's better than the unconstitutional abandonment of their responsibilities we have now.
I could be wrong, but I don't recall either Baker or Christopher speaking in favor of the unitary executive. Baker, possibly at George H.W. Bush's request (like Brent Scowcroft), even warned W. against effecting regime change in Iraq before the war.
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antibrainwasher2 months ago
So, good idea, we do nothing, and when cheney gives the Iran bombing go order in Noverber, after Obama's elected, you'll say, well, they musta deserved it, cause Daddy Shotgun Dick says so, and his word is good enough.
bush and cheney lied, completely lied, about invasion of Iraq, which had no WMD, and did not pose ANY threat to this country. And you are suspisious of stripping any war powers from Shotgun Dick Cheney, the chickenhawk insane warmongering coward and traitor. Good idea.
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AnteUp2 months ago
berkeley ~
Thank you! I saw them on the news yesterday.I felt
their dedication to strengthening our country by
adding increased accountability between the Executive
and Legislative Branches regarding committing us to war
- REEKED.
"skeptical" ? Big time - I do not trust them.
Funny how what it says on paper can work out in practice.
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antibrainwasher2 months ago
Yeah, because its suspicious when anyone stands between profit and war profiteers. We need presidential declared invasions to generate billions for General Dynamics and keep the boys in the USAF and westpoint frosty, otherwise they get a little cranky, got to let them out of their doghouses, get some killing in. And congress would want it to mean something, like some nation threatening us.
That's why I like Shotgun Dicks financing 400 million to a terrorist organiztion in Iraq to make usa planned and weaponed cross border killings and bombings in Iran, stirring up some heat for the go order in November. Keep congress out of it. Haliburton needs the contracts.
A god bless Haliburton, the face of your tax dollars.
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texangelwings2 months ago
This should be interesting as to Congressional reaction to the changes in the offered plan to Revamp the War Powers Act!
Some good comments above!
Thanks Beau!
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quackpot2 months ago
As long as the Executive Branch controls the flow of information, the Congress is powerless. In nearly every war that the U.S. has entered, the Executive Branch has manipulated the information provided to Congress so as to obtain Congressional support for the war.
Bush's manipulation of "intelligence" information provided to justify the Iraq invasion is just the latest chapter a long history of such deceit.
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antibrainwasher2 months ago
Good point. This democracy is dead when neocon corporate secrecy facists control the american media, and the amereican media becomes a propanda mouthpiece for the military industrial complex.
The american media is 100% zionist owned and 100% zionist operated. For profit only. Disney/Abc/Isreal and General Electric/NBC and Westinghouse/CBS and Murdock/fox/ Newscorp/ wallstreet journal/ weekly standard / 108 austrialian tabloids/ english tabloids/ myspace/ worlds largest media empire are 100% for profit. No Israeli critizism allowed in american movies, music, tv news, tv newspapers, cable news or programming, NOTHING. 100% zionist owned and operated.
Take the consititution, and wipe your arses with it. When these corporate moguls control the media in conjunction with a right wing big oil regime, democracy is a f*ing joke. American media is a for profit infotainment joke. These media empires are controlled by Israeli money. One nation, under the star of david, neoconusa
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antibrainwasher2 months ago
Does it even bother anyone that Faux news hired freaking Rove? Does anybody get the implications of that?
America, home of the incredibly gullible morons who don't have a pot to urinate in, and vote republican, because murdock tells them to hate the 70% of americans who actually think for themselves.
America, a bunch of lemmings, taking marching orders from an Australian billionaire superrich mogal, voting to let the rich write tax laws, mortgage regulations, energy policy.....Usreai dual citizens in conjunction with oil/military industrial profiteers lying about evidence for war, and outing CIA agents who prove otherwise....
and you think this is a democracy. Its an oligarcy of the mega rich who own 85% of all american stock. 1% of americans own 85% of all american stock. That's NOT a democracy.
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Lurch1 month, 4 weeks ago
Of course James Baker would claim the War Powers Act is obsolete, his boy is the one who broke the damn law and he is his lawyer.
Instead of pleading guilty and taking responsibility, claim the law is bad.
This is the same James Baker who launched the original law suit over the 2000 election to try to STOP the legal recount demanded by FLA state law at the time.
For guys like Baker, laws are only good for one thing: holding the other guy down while you take his money.
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Searchbeam1 month, 4 weeks ago
Baker is George HW's chihuahua! He barks and whines a lot, but he always knows who holds the leash!
He follows his Master's orders.
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Spadecaller1 month, 4 weeks ago
The root to the problem with the war powers act stems from collusion with the lobbyists that represent the military industrial corporations that can make and break the political careers of many politicians on both sides of the aisle. The sell-outs on the Democratic side of the aisle, Pelosi, Hoyer, and Reid are weak in confronting warmongering because of their own selfish interests.
The good news about Obama is that he has built a grass roots organization that gives him the leverage financially to confront the special interests and those lobbyists, who have too much influence in encourageing military aggression for strictly mercenary reasons.
How does one pass legislation when we have hired the foxes to watch the hen house? It won't happen. We must replace these corporate sell-outs with leaders who build their support from outside the confines of K Street.
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Submitted By:
Beau7890
I used to have a quote here from Andre Breton, author of several surrealist works.
I now think that if you're here on Propeller ...
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