Comments | ontd_political: War in Libya is Unconstitutional, Just Sayin'

singularity2045 in ontd_political

War in Libya is Unconstitutional, Just Sayin'

Mar 21, 2011 13:30

"President Obama moved forward without Congress approving. He didn't have Congressional authorization, he has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said," Dem. Rep. Kucinich told Raw Story on Monday. "It's not even disputable, this isn't even a close question. Such an action -- that involves putting America's service men ( Read more... )

ron paul, war, dennis kucinich, ralph nader, impeachment, barack obama, libya

Comments 122

devil_ad_vocate March 21 2011, 18:57:01 UTC

Congressman Kucinich, eat my shorts.

carmy_w March 21 2011, 20:42:26 UTC

He also needs to get a new hairpiece, from the pic I saw on HuffPo....

tiddlywinks103 March 21 2011, 19:02:32 UTC

They're right, but where were you right after 9/11, dickweeds?

luomo March 21 2011, 19:04:06 UTC

kucinich and nader? they were definitely vocal.

tiddlywinks103 March 21 2011, 19:06:24 UTC

Really? Because, I heard no one being vocal enough to actually get a media platform and some real questions asked. Then again, I was pretty young...

luomo March 21 2011, 19:07:56 UTC

that's the fault of the corporate media. are you not familiar with kucinich or nader?

Thread 15

julieannie March 21 2011, 19:17:16 UTC

Like President Obama or any other one gives a shit about the Constitution.

kerrence March 21 2011, 20:01:01 UTC

haha, truth.

keeni84 March 21 2011, 20:35:51 UTC

Hahaha lol

azetburcaptain March 22 2011, 00:22:48 UTC

It's an etch-n-sketch by now, I swear.

entropius March 21 2011, 19:20:44 UTC

Kucinich is right. This is an act of war; wars require Congressional approval. Insisting that non-defensive military action be cleared with Congress (and, by extension, the American people) is an important safeguard against abuse of the military.

But it is not a war crime. American forces in Libya, as far as I know, have not tortured anyone, not engaged in reckless attacks against civilians, not breached the Geneva conventions, etc. Calling it a war crime belittles those things that quite clearly are war crimes, like many of the the things done by Bush (and continued by Obama) related to the "war on terror".

I think that intervention in Libya is justified, but it should have gone to Congress first.

danceprincess20 March 21 2011, 19:45:34 UTC

These are my thoughts as well. Anthony Weiner was on Don Imus this morning and said something very similar too (and I'd bet he's not the only one who feels this way).

keeni84 March 21 2011, 20:39:51 UTC

but it should have gone to Congress first.

Curious. Why do you say this?

entropius March 21 2011, 21:35:14 UTC

For two reasons.

First is that the Constitution explicitly gives Congress the power to declare war. I don't like the trend of these undeclared wars (all of them since Vietnam) being an end run around what I see as the intent of the Constitution: that the US should not go to war without the support of the Congress.

Second is that it's just a good idea, IMO; I am not an absolute pacifist, but I believe that the decision to go to war should never be made lightly and should be made only when supported by clear, convincing, and overwhelming evidence presented to the public that it's the right thing to do, and with the assent of the populace. Congress, in this context as in many others, serves as a proxy for the vox populi. By involving Congress in the decision to go to war, it helps ensure that that decision won't be made hastily.

Thread 8

psychababble March 21 2011, 19:26:53 UTC

*cues chorus of America: Fuck Yeah! to resound throughout the nation*