War One
Can someone explain the difference between a war declared by Congress and one that is not?
How would the war in Iraq be different if it was a war declared by Congress. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each type? Is the War on Terrorism “declared” by President Bush one that has any special legal status?
War cannot be declared except by Congress, period. The Constitution is very explicit about that. What Congress did in 2002 was give Bush the power to use military force, if necessary, to compel Saddam Hussein to comply with UN resolutions. Granted, from the point of view of the soldiers fighting in Iraq, and of the Iraqis who are being killed while trying to go about their business, the legal distinctions are insignificant.
As for the “War on Terrorism,” it is simply a political ploy to create the sense of permanent war that the Bush administration has used to curtail civil rights while at the same time vastly expanding the power of the presidency. There cannot be a “war” on terror, declared or otherwise, because terrorism is a tactic, a technique. One can no more make war on terrorism than on amphibious invasion.
World War One troops and fighting
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