US congressional leaders Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner pictured holding hands.
Writing this piece condemning Congress feels so redundant but after reading this mornings article, "Congress wary of war vote, Many unwilling to weigh in on Islamic State", by Tribune staff writers Lisa Mascaro and Michael A. Memoli in today's Baltimore Sun article was just too "juicy" to pass up.
In so many instances the "vaudeville" act which Chris Hedges so aptly describes of what really goes on in Capitol Hill, defines perfectly the latest crime of inaction about to be made by our "lawmakers."
El Presidente Barack Obama says, "he has the authority he needs to take action against the Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria. He'll address the nation tonight. As to that "authority" we'll get to that in a sec.
As we know up to this point "Dear leader" has sent American bombers, attack helicopters and drones attacking the Islamic State in northern Iraq on "authority" by the new unelected government in Baghdad "asking" him to intervene; a "government" by the way that came to power when President Nouri al-Maliki was conveniently removed by the Iraqi parliament-something Washington wanted so "miraculously" al-Maliki was gone from the scene and America is back at war in Iraq and soon to be Syria. As for the latter there's been no authorization for America to go to war in Syria from President Bashar al Assad, but hey we're America, what's to stop us, certainly not Congress.
As for that "esteemed" body on Capitol Hill approving Obama's bombing campaign in Iraq; there was none.
Now he's about to embark on a broader war misadventure in Iraq AND Syria. Here's a remark from one the "vaudevillians" on Capitol Hill that pretty much typifies where Congress stands.
Rep. Peter King R.-N.Y. apparently representing the "mood" in Congress said, "I think it's better if Congress would give approval, but I think it's better to do it after the fact". How's that for Congressional "action"?
That's right this buffoons interpretation of the Constitution granting sole authority to declare war is "to do it after the fact".
But Congress isn't about to vote on Barack's new war before or after the fact. They've ceded that authority long ago. The last time Congress authorized a war was after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
All our wars since have been undeclared, "Police Actions" as in Korea in 1950, "false flag" provocations as in the phony "Gulf of Tonkin incident in Viet Nam in 1965 and the subsequent "Gulf of Tonkin" resolution by Congress that President Lyndon Johnson used to justify escalating the war in Viet Nam or the subterfuge George W. Bush engineered after the 9/11 attacks to get Congress to authorize the president "to use all means" to get the perpetrators thus initiating the "global war on terror" in Afghanistan, two years later using the same post 9/11 authorization to invade Iraq and later the drone and missile attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia; on and on it goes with Congress essentially mute.
In reality ALL our wars remain within the province of the president with Congress performing an all but ceremonial role, sycophants "dutifully" authorizing the funds to conduct the wars, pretty much a procedural matter considering our boys, now women are in a war so they have to give them what they need.
In truth, America is a dictatorship masking as a representative democracy working under the cover of a Constitution, a mere impediment for the executive to work around while a no account Congress conducts polarizing squabbles, a perfect distraction that gives the impression they're acting as legislators taking care of the nations business. But it's bloviating at best, hardly representing democracy in action.
Our democracy is a false illusion, a mirage masquerading as representing the people, masking the plutocracy that has emerged which uses war to foster chaos in the world; what better to justify and fuel a bloated war industry, the banks too big to fail and the other rapacious corporatists to maintain their power and privilege.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
