Unfinished Business

AMERICA HAS FORGOTTEN HOW TO ACHIEVE VICTORY

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution grants the executive branch
command of the armed forces.

Article I, Section 8 grants the legislative branch the power to
declare war. The last time Congress declared war was on Dec. 8, 1941.
On that day, President Franklin Roosevelt concluded a speech with
these words: "I ask that the Congress declare that since the
unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state
of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese
empire." Just as it had for President Wilson in 1917, Congress voted
for war. The framers of the Constitution gave the president command
of the armed forces, but knew it was the American people who would
ultimately pay for going to war.

Therefore, they gave the people's elected representatives the power
to declare war.

The American people have paid for wars through the years with their
personal treasure and the lives of their sons and daughters. The
framers never envisioned today's situation - a weak Congress that has
handed the president the power to take the nation to war. Since
Congress gave this power away, it appears America has forgotten how
to finish a fight.

We finished two world wars by forcing the unconditional surrender of
our enemies. Unfortunately, most of America's major military
conflicts since Congress stopped declaring wars have been left unfinished.

Unfinished wars are messy. The Korean War has been in a cease-fire
since we signed an armistice with North Korea in July 1953. A
half-century later, North Korea is still a thorn in America's side.
Today, we have more than 27,000 American military personnel in South
Korea to prove it.

We didn't finish the fight in Vietnam. A war-weary United States
departed in a hurry, signing the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973.
In the aftermath, thousands of former South Vietnamese military and
government officials were killed or imprisoned by the new communist government.

In neighboring Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge toppled the government and
committed massive genocide.

America led a large coalition in 1991 to eject Iraqi occupation
forces from Kuwait. We stopped short of bringing down Saddam
Hussein's regime. That's because American wars today have limited
objectives, falling short of total victory.

The Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq, who at our government's urging rose
up against Saddam, were crushed by Saddam's troops after coalition
forces withdrew from the region.

Saddam drained their wetland areas, destroying the livelihoods of
half a million fellow Iraqis.

In 2003, America returned to Iraq to finish the job. We're still
there, and it still isn't finished.

Prior to returning to Iraq, we invaded Afghanistan to bring down the
Taliban government that was backing terrorism against the West. We're
still there, too.

In February 2006, the Department of Defense published the Quadrennial
Defense Review, a 20-year global security projection that provides
broad planning direction for the U.S. military. The report's preface
states: "The United States is engaged in what will be a long war."
Since that day, many officials in the Bush administration refer to
the "long war" instead of the "war on terror." I hope the current war
isn't another long war. America loses long wars. I put Korea at the
top of the list of failed long wars. There are others that stand out, though.

President Lyndon Johnson declared a "war on poverty" in 1964. Nearly
45 years later, poverty is a major problem in America.

President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs" in 1971. More than
35 years later, there are thousands of American military and
law-enforcement personnel fighting that war.

Declaring war on things (terrorism, drugs and poverty) doesn't work
as well as declaring war on other nations.

Things don't surrender - nations do! Americans should be fed up with
presidents declaring long wars. We also should be fed up with a
Congress that authorizes and funds them. But why should members of
Congress want to stop? When wars go well, they claim credit. When
wars go badly, they point the finger of blame at the other party or
at their opponents in the next election. Meanwhile, many in Congress
feather their own nests by attaching spending earmarks to the bills
used to fund the long wars. Maybe it's time for Congress to reclaim
its constitutional authority to declare war.

Even better, maybe it's time for "we the people" to reclaim our
constitutional authority and start demanding that our elected
representatives truly represent us.

The decision to go to war is too important to be placed in the hands
of one elected leader. The desires of the people must be part of the
decision process before going to war.