It is always time for Constitutional patriots to pay attention to what happens in Washington DC. Now is one of the more urgent times.
Here’s the latest bulletin from the ACLU:
The House of Representatives recently passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains a reckless provision that would give the president — any president — the power to unilaterally take our country to war wherever, whenever and however he or she sees fit. The Senate Armed Services Committee will begin debating the NDAA next week,
The Senate Armed Services Committee is about to consider a new stealth law authorizing America to be in a worldwide war.
We are very concerned that one or more senators may try to sneak this new amendment authorizing worldwide war into the National Defense Authorization Act. As early as Wednesday, the committee may vote on the new amendment, which would give this president — and all future presidents — the sole power to send American service men and women into war anywhere and everywhere around the globe, wherever there is a terrorism suspect. There would be no more checks and balances on these critical war decisions. The worldwide war amendment would have no clear enemy, no expiration date, no geographical boundaries, and no connection to the 9/11 attacks or any other harm or threat to Americans.
It is shocking that Congress is entertaining such legislation at a time when many are looking to see an end to escalating conflict and abuses of power in the name of fighting terrorism.
The worldwide war amendment would have no clear enemy, no expiration date, no geographical boundaries, and no connection to the 9/11 attacks or any other harm or threat to Americans. Congress should not wholesale hand over to this president -- and all future presidents -- the authority that the Constitution gives to Congress alone to decide whether, where, and why the country will go to war. If this provision passes, there will be no more checks and balances on the use of the military.
The time is now to restore respect for the Constitution and the system of checks and balances. The decision to go to war is too important to be decided in a secret debate on an amendment to a much bigger bill, and Congress should not turn over all of its power to this president and all future presidents.
President Obama says he opposes this provision. Let's hope he means it. That was not true for the previous president and will likely not be true for the next president. If the National Defense Authorization Act passes with this provision, with enough votes to over-ride a veto, our Constitution will be gutted.
Call your senators, please. Now.
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18 comments:
Wow! I find myself in agreement with Dubya, the ACLU, and President Obama on this one. If this bill is sent to Obama for his signature, I would hope he is true to his word and veto's it.
The Constitution clearly provides the step for declaring war. This provision, even if passed, would strike me as grotesquely unconstitutional.
Don not worry my children. Ron and Rand Paul will not let this happen. They are angels sent down from Republican Heaven to guard the US Constitution.
oops *Do
TP,
Believe it or not, the ACLU always comes down on the side of the Constitution. They are hated by some on the left and many on the right for defending the rights of those they most vehemently disagree with to speak freely, from Nazis to Commies and everyone in between.
Some are annoyed that the ACLU challenges crosses on public land, while others are furious they defended the American Nazi's right to march is Skokie. The bottom line is they really do support the "American way" as written in the Constitution despite how we feel about such expressions.
Mary,
I always say libertarians are half right. They value individual rights over government power. Unfortunately they have no problem with unlimited corporate power, which then wields power of government. Go figure.
No, Dubya, well yes, some of their ideas are ok, but they are purely utilitarian. Ron and Ran are neo-libertarians. They have just hijacked the name for themselves, and then they are too scared to even run under it. Social and civil-libertarians would never agree with Corporations having the power that they do. I consider myself a libertarian, and I value HUMAN rights over corporate AND government power, I'm disgusted by the wave of Tea Party "libertarianism"...how can you even hope to achieve "liberty" under corporate dominance with non-altruistic objectivism? Libertarianism is supposed to promote egalitarianism, not exploitation of the economic classes.
I think I'm going to move to Denmark.
I expect those behind this dangerous idiocy think Obama is so anxious to not be seen as a weak commander in chief that he will go along with this, even while saying he doesn't like it — either because he really doesn't like it or as a sop to liberals. The scary part is, those behind this idiocy could be right.
The other possibility is that backers of the amendment want to create a situation that will further alienate those on the left from Obama just before an election year. If he does sign it, the left will sit out the campaign and election day, they hope. If Obama doesn't sign it, the right will beat him up for being weak.
This has the vile scent of Karl Rove's cloven hooves on it.
SW,
It will be the same old "support the troops" with permanent war nonsense. Never mind "support the troops" still means sending them to trauma and death.
War is peace.
I can only hope Obama will veto this bill. I doubt if there would be enough votes to override his veto.
If all else fails, the Corporate Arm of the Republican Party (formerly known as the Supreme Court) will overturn this unconstitutional law.
Riiight.
This is illegal.
Where are the Constitutional amendments being passed that would actually change our law?
They can't pass them, so like CheneyBush they issue Executive statements, Patriot Acts arising on the spot that have been in the fascists' busy Think Tank planning for years, and now this strange new bit of power lust.
I"m with Mary Mayhem.
S
We gotta get outta this place.
Tom,
I remember back when Obama said he'd "restore the Constitution". Then he voted for Bush's FISA sham.
Sigh...
Suzan,
Yes, it is illegal. And so are warrentless wiretaps and torture.
Sigh...
The Senate Armed Services Committee is about to consider a new stealth law authorizing America to be in a worldwide war. Oh fucking great..just what we need. We can't afford to take care of the sick and elderly but we CAN afford forever wars.
Speaking of dipshits..anyone gonna watch the R's square off tonight? Should be pure comedy gold as Batshit Bachmann is in the mix I think.
I think the Democrats should sponsor a presidential debate too!
They can have someone portray Senator Obama and his pre-2009 stances on the issues debating the current brainiac pretending to be President who is rapidly destroying what is left of America.
Only 6 house Republicans
voted agains that bill..whether it gets vetoed depends on all the other provisions, like funding etc. IMO, the senate will modify it.
The US Constitution is no longer relevant to how our nation functions.
Thanks Mary for your explanation of the core Libertarian values. I remember when more folks used to talk the way you do. It seems so long ago.
Now it seems that the knee jerk stance is that the elimination of regulations (ie: laws) will give us a more perfect market, with the police enforcing the laws (that aren't...) And so the logic encircles and strangles itself...
I hope Obama runs as the reform candidate again.
Dusty,
Republican "Debates" are a hoot. Kinda like a drunken Klan square dance where everybody tries to goose-step further to the Right than everybody else.
TP,
Good one. I think such a debate between candidate Obama and President Obama would be enlightening entertainment. I'm glad you included "what is left of America", since the Constitution -shredding Shrub and his Big Dick almost finished us off.
I'm all for sacking both major parties. They both work for Wall Street and the Military Industrial Complex while ignoring the Constitution and over 90% of the American people.
Wease,
What Constitution? Oh, you mean that "goddamn piece of paper" Bush hated so much.
Libertarians, Liberals, and even Conservatives have all been re-defined by the radical Right in our corporate media.
Eliminating words and re-defining their meanings are also directly out of Orwellian newspeak.
BB,
Let's hope there enough level headed patriots left in the Senate.
I wish I could trust Obama to veto it with that provision.
I'm all for sacking both major parties. They both work for Wall Street and the Military Industrial Complex while ignoring the Constitution and over 90% of the American people. That makes two of us then Dave.
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