Worldwide War Without End

[Broletariat]

http://www.aclu.org/new-authorization-worldwide-war-without-end



Congress may soon vote on a new declaration of worldwide war without end, and without clear enemies. A “sleeper provision” deep inside defense bills pending before Congress could become the single biggest hand-over of unchecked war authority from Congress to the executive branch in modern American history.


President Obama has not sought new war authority. In fact, his administration has made clear that it believes it already has all of the authority that it needs to fight terrorism.


But Congress is considering monumental new legislation that would grant the president – and all presidents after him – sweeping new power to make war almost anywhere and everywhere. Unlike previous grants of authority for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, the proposed legislation would allow a president to use military force wherever terrorism suspects are present in the world, regardless of whether there has been any harm to U.S. citizens, or any attack on the United States, or any imminent threat of an attack. The legislation is broad enough to permit a president to use military force within the United States and against American citizens. The legislation contains no expiration date, and no criteria to determine when a president’s authority to use military force would end.


Of all of the powers that the Constitution assigns to Congress, no power is more fundamental or important than the power “to declare War.” That is why, in 2002, when Congress was considering whether to authorize war in Iraq, it held fifteen hearings, and passed legislation that cited specific harms, set limits, and defined a clear objective. Now, Congress is poised to give unchecked authority to the executive branch to use military force worldwide, with profoundly negative consequences for our fundamental democratic system of checks and balances. Once Congress expands the president’s war power, it will be nearly impossible to rein it back in. The ACLU strongly opposes a wholesale turnover of war power from Congress to the president – and all of his successors.


Dude, what.

[Rusty Shackleford]

jesus fucking christ. now, imagine someone as crass as trump as president after this.

[$lim_$weezy]

This is the single scariest thing I've read in quite some time. Shit.

[Agent Ducky]

Shit, they can't do that. O_O Or can they? Why is it they're able to pull shit like this? WTF? :confused:

[Zav]

Holy fucking shit! That is frightening, and yet not at all surprising.

[Zav]

Shit, they can't do that. O_O Or can they? Why is it they're able to pull shit like this? WTF? :confused:
The same reason nation-states exist in the first place. The people give them this power. If this passes, it'll be MUCH bigger than the Patriot Act. There shall certainly be riots, and thus an open war on freedom...

[RedScare]

Uh oh. The next Republican president is gonna have a fucking riot with this one :ohmy:

[Lenina Rosenweg]

More info on this

http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney05122011.html

[Tablo]

I'm with you guys. This type of shit freaks me out. I'm hoping this won't happen and that if it does we see a huge surge in the anti-war movement. Just imagine, no one would be safe anywhere. Even war on citizens... makes me want to consider moving somewhere like China.

[reformnow88]

great... I guess two wars at one time isn't enough for the military industrial complex strange with all the conflicts the imperialist government puts itself in I figured arms manufactures profits would be through the roof

[bcbm]

so theyre passing a law to legalize what they already do anyway i dont think this is that scary the us govt has clearly shown it doesnt give a fuck about legality its just like with the patriot act, they were already doing that shit anyway

[Terminator X]

Obama has already been authorized to order the assassination of anyone, including US citizens, anywhere in the world, without justification or trial.

That scares me a fuck of a lot more than another goddamn war.

[xub3rn00dlex]

I'm with you guys. This type of shit freaks me out. I'm hoping this won't happen and that if it does we see a huge surge in the anti-war movement. Just imagine, no one would be safe anywhere. Even war on citizens... makes me want to consider moving somewhere like China.

But in this case you wouldn't even be safe in China, you really aren't already since the pres. has authorization to assassinate anybody anywhere. But this is beyond scary, who comes up with this shit? If this passes, the most immediate use of it I think would be in regards to invading the entire middle east for their oil, since they would need no excuse whatsoever.

[Le Socialiste]

Come on folks, this has become standard practice! The passing of this proposal would merely make legitimate such actions. It's not as though it hasn't already happened - because it has. What we're seeing is an emboldened possessing-class, with the bourgeois political wing rubber-stamping their demands. Should we be scared shitless? Sure, but let's not kid ourselves. This has been happening for awhile. What it should now do is strike and foment anger in every heart and mind that recognizes the destructive, power-mad aspirations of a swifly fracturing capitalism. As capitalism undergoes continued crises and chaotic structuring (or the lack thereof), so will its actions become increasingly desperate and erratic.

[Texas Expat]

Trump's not running. But, have faith! We Americans can come up with someone worse!

[Texas Expat]

Uh oh. The next Republican president is gonna have a fucking riot with this one :ohmy:

Let's apply some clear, cold analysis here. The Fascist Powers That Be in America LOVE Obama, therefore, he will be re-elected in 2012 against whatever sap the PTB allow the Republicans to nominate. By saying "next Republican president" you assume there will be an election in 2016.

Maybe. Maybe not, too. The whole capitalist system may well come crashing down before then. If that happens, I do not predict some socialist paradise, or socialist anything, though the latter IS possible.

More likely a military coup that's more socialist than what we have now.

It's very possible. Not quite LIKELY, but possible.

[xub3rn00dlex]

Trump's not running. But, have faith! We Americans can come up with someone worse!

I have more than faith in this statement, I'm just waiting with some popcorn to see which nutcase we pull out of the bag next. However, I highly think it's irrelevant whether we elect a republican or re-elect a democrat, they're the opposite side of the same coin. While reading the paper in the morning I came across an article that stated a new law passed now gives cops permission to enter your home with "suspicion" of marijuana usage, under the premise that if they did not search your house you'd be destroying the evidence. The last republican president led a merciless war against constitutional freedoms ( not saying I believe in them, just stating the document they come from ) and this current democratic one is just continuing that same war. Sorry if this is irrelevant to the OP, don't mean to hijack.

[Tablo]

But in this case you wouldn't even be safe in China, you really aren't already since the pres. has authorization to assassinate anybody anywhere. But this is beyond scary, who comes up with this shit? If this passes, the most immediate use of it I think would be in regards to invading the entire middle east for their oil, since they would need no excuse whatsoever.
I feel like the CIA would have a somewhat harder time getting at me in China. Just me trying to comfort myself that there is somewhere I can run. Dx

[xub3rn00dlex]

I feel like the CIA would have a somewhat harder time getting at me in China. Just me trying to comfort myself that there is somewhere I can run. Dx

I imagine they would indeed have a much harder time, and honestly the first place that came to my mind was also china, followed closely by siberian russia lol. I do imagine our government has agencies much worse than the CIA though, but maybe I'm just being paranoid.

[the last donut of the night]

so theyre passing a law to legalize what they already do anyway i dont think this is that scary the us govt has clearly shown it doesnt give a fuck about legality its just like with the patriot act, they were already doing that shit anyway

true, but the scary part is that it could become officially legal

[Geiseric]

I dont think this will pass through the supreme court, if theyve had a use in their entire span of existance now is the time.

[RebelDog]

Probably just a legal reflection of what they already engage in and to protect future presidents (if that were needed) from any interference. The US elite see themselves as the global mafia and act as they see fit.