While claiming that he just needs a “limited” war against Syria to back up his “red line” threat, President Barack Obama is actually seeking a far broader mandate from Congress. The authorization would allow Obama to take any action that he “determines to be necessary and appropriate in connection with the use of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in the conflict in Syria” as well as acting to “prevent or deter the use or proliferation” of the weapons or to “protect the United States and its allies and partners” from the weapons.”
Indeed, it reminds one of the authorization leading into Iraq with only the 9-11 angle replaced by a chemical weapons rationale. The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution (formally the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002), stated “That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.”
Now replace the terrorist attacks with the chemical attacks and you have our latest blank check demanded by a President. The language accomplishes two things. It allows members to claim that they merely wanted to protect the nation while making it unnecessary for the President to ask them again (and expose them to difficult votes). This is how politicians like Hillary Clinton and John Kerry voted to allow the Iraq War. While they later claimed that they had no idea and were misled, they ignored critics at the time questioning the evidence and objecting to the blank check language of the authorization. They also took no action later as the war killed thousands of U.S. personnel and spent hundreds of billions.
Nevertheless, democrats like Nancy Pelosi are demanding action and once again absolute (and blind) loyalty to Obama. The speech for Obama in the final vote has already been written (with a few modest edits):
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our [] dead.
In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour’d rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o’erwhelm it
. . .
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call’d fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. . . .
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry ‘God for [Barry], [America], and Saint George!’
A posted, maybe David Gregory will have Ms. Leverett and Alan Grayson on meet the press this Sunday!!!!!
Thanks for the link. The drums of war fortified by the Bums of media sure drown out sane reasoning.
Obama might want to have a little sit-down with Hillary Mann Leverett:
http://youtu.be/VwnE36zA6E0
This may have already been brought up somewhere, so I apologize if this is a redundancy. Regarding the government stringing us along, General Wesley Clark insists there was a ‘policy coup’ after 9/11.
“In this stunning but little-known speech from 2007, Gen. Wesley Clark claims America underwent a “policy coup” at the time of the 9/11 attacks. In this video, he reveals that, right after 9/11, he was privy to information contained in a classified memo: US plans to attack and remove governments in seven countries over five years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.”
http://whowhatwhy.com/2012/08/10/tvwho-gen-wesley-clark-shocker-on-911-policy-coup/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY2DKzastu8
Iraq, check. Libya, check. Syria…
randyjet, I do my best to keep one ear open to the music of the high plains.
I am on the mountainside struggling up the slope, side by side with all of humanity. Some of “our” companions think they are playing king of the hill. They get a leg up and use that leverage to toss those nearby far back down the hill. Then thump their chest declaring themselves king.
But Woe and Alas, they are not king. They are still on the hillside with far to go.
My analogy could be compared to Mt Olympus with no Gods, Heaven with no souls, a destination always a generation away.
Dreams are good randyjet. / good dreams are good / .
Good hope, good ideals, good goals, created in the conscious minds of altruistic humans. … A goal of lifes’ struggle.
I hope this is wind chimey and liberal enough for you.
My point is, there is always higher ground. The US policy and actions in the mideast, western europe, eastern asia, is a cluster of clusters. Now we are debating to bomb one of the clusters. We have already bombed 5 or 6 or 7 (?) clusters these last 12 years, since 911. HOW WE DOING??
Are we bombing the people raising them higher up the hill?
This is like the Creation theory of Religion. Blow everything up and the pieces when they fall, will land in a perfectly constructed arranged Democracy. The US takes on the mantle of God when old fat white men 8000 miles away sign papers, push buttons, and kill children in their homes or school yards ….. to promote peace on earth. ….
This policy does not work randyjet, doing it over and over will not make it work. ….I think there’s a definition for this…….
Oooops! Missed!
We are all puppets
The gov’ment strings us along
How do we survive
Whew! ;^)
– Michael Murry
I agree with you 100%. I was just pointing out what I thought the Speechmaker-in-Chief will do and not what I hope he does.
We are all puppets
The gov strings us along
How do we survive
Mike Appleton,
One can never repeat those truths too many times.
Nevertheless, we will always find ourselves facing apologists for lawless government who claim that “laws exist to be broken, so let us break them — preferably as soon as possible after taking an oath not to do any such thing. Then let us lecture the world on our devotion to law and morality.”
Hypocrites.
That should read “just war principles.”
Our involvement in the Syrian civil war cannot be justified under either domestic or international law. Nor can it be defended under traditional just law principles. The President is operating in the same manner as his predecessors, essentially adopting the unitary executive model of presidential authority, a gross perversion of the Constitution.
lottakatz,
Watching President Obama grovel for Mad Dog John McCain’s bombing approval made my stomach turn. And I can just see Nancy Pelosi rallying the Democratic caucus in the House for another needless war they hate:
“Why even John McCain supports this war.”
That ought to really clinch the deal for all those “liberals.”
I’ve got your President Obama and Secretary of Spin, John Kerry right here:
“All Cretans lie.” — Epimenides of Knossos (himself a Cretan)
Truthful Cretan Liars
I lied when I said that I spoke the truth,
And I speak the truth when I say that I lied.
I come from a land where they think it uncouth
To utilize language that hasn’t yet died
Because they prefer to sell War to their youth
While shedding fake tears at the Peace they’ve decried.
I tell you for sure that I mean what I say,
And you must believe me ’cause you’ve got no way
To know if from paths straight and narrow I’ll stray
Whenever I want what you’ve got on your tray.
I merely speak noises which I have observed
Make people do just about any damn thing;
While, still, for my own inner self I’ve reserved
What I really mean by the sounds that I sing,
Leaving up to my listeners what they have deserved
For thinking they know why the words soothe or sting.
My lies I support with true evidence scant;
But since I regard you as one potted plant,
I’m sure that you’ll swallow my self-serving rant
Even though it consists of discredited cant
I truthfully lie, and as falsely speak true
While reason and ethics I ceaselessly flout.
I’m Jabberwock captain of one hopeless crew
Who followed me in where no one can get out.
So breathe in the smoke that I’ve exhaled at you
And lie down, saluting, the true lies I spout.
Michael Murry, “The Misfortune Teller,” Copyright © 2010
“Trust us.” — Barack and John