I seldom feel an impetus to join the bandwagon of Obama criticizers in this obsequiously Republican section of the country. Nonetheless I must decry the government’s recent decision to attack Libya, placing ourselves once more in the vanguard of half-witted nations.
Putting aside the fact that we have no casus belli; that Ghadafi has done nothing more to warrant our use of force; that we have no historic or vested interest; that we have no political, or really any connection with the people rebelling. Putting aside the fact that we are cutting school budgets while launching million-dollar cruise missiles for no particularly good reason. Putting aside the bloodshed being visited in our name, we must wonder at the process.
Executive power to launch military operations in the name of “emergency” has been abused constantly over the last 60 years. While President Bush at least had the decency to lie to Congress and the American people, he did in fact take his falsehoods to the people. The fact that they were not able to figure it out as a falsehood is as much a slight on them as on him.
In this case President Obama said little before he started launching and the launching continues. I believe his Secretary of Defense said it well: “You don’t establish a no-fly zone without going to war.” Unfortunately our video game presentations on television give our disinterested public the idea that this no-fly thing is no big deal. Well, it is.
We are killing people and while many of them are people who need to be killed, we are doing so without our consent nor the consent of our elected morons. This must stop.
All presidents must understand they cannot wage war without giving us a damn good reason and that reason had better be both real and right. This is an idea which transcends political loyalty. The fact that the Republicans will make political hay after all the disingenuous crap they have pulled is beside the point.
We Americans must demand that this President and every President follow the intent of the Constitution in acquiring our consent before waging war. If it has to stop under a Democrat, so be it!
Timothy J. Parker
LTC (Ret) USAF
Peachtree City, Ga.
