Declaring war is not old fashioned

Let our Country have the debate and friction and votes up front. Politicians standing up and being counted in this most important national issue is key to our National survival, or demise. At least we will have voted on it.

Today in the national discussion is the war in Iraq, the war on terror, and possible regional war in Mesopotamia, to include Iran. Tomorrow it may be a region in the world, an asset in the world, or even out of this world, like the moon.

Presently the preferred course of action is covert action since this is a good way to fight fire with fire. But this course also gives the initiative to our enemies as they define how things will go. We deserve this present state since our present educated but inexperienced leaders and hired staffs have decided to avoid messiness while responding to overt attacks. The politics are key since America’s national interests are too often second to financial and reelection benefits accrued to politicians. What a mess. And it is both executive and congressional.

There have been strong hints. After 911 when our Nation suffered casualties in the thousands, terrible financial damage, and political damage, our congress and executive could not even craft a declaration of war as a response. Rather there was a carefully crafted authorization, now even called disingenuous in the underlying facts, that let our Nation go forward. What a sad state of affairs since this is still alive and well 6 years later. And this is not some Gulf of Tonkin ruse as many still remember.

There has been another strong hint. All the politics of 911 fades to just normal things, like a family, or a business, or being in love. This is normal in America and votes.

There are Japanese type arguments about the value of surprise attacks. In a covert war, surprise is key, and it works, for and against us. While the public is ignorant, the political leaders get the message from their enemies. And there are many other covert things going on just to say Americans are not docile.

If it is important to our Nation and its future, declare war. If it is not, say so.