Congress alone has the power to declare war. (Const. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11) The decision of the U.S. whether to join Israel’s war against Iran presents no imminent issue or threat. (See Trump Will Decide On Iran Attack Within The Next Two Weeks, White House says. [7 days after hostilities began]. Indeed, Israel itself commenced a “preventive war” against Iran, which occurs even more remotely in time than a “preemptive war.” (A preventive war is an armed conflict "initiated in the belief that military conflict, while not imminent, is inevitable, and that to delay would involve greater risk.")
Notwithstanding Congress’s sole power to declare war, and the lack of any urgency or threat behind this war, the President, Congress and the country continue to act as if it is President Trump’s decision whether to have the US commence war against Iran. (See “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do," Trump told reporters on June 18 during a press session at the White House.)
This sad state of affairs is the result of decades of Congress abdicating its war making powers. Obviously, it would be best if Congress began debating the Iran issue now. Whether that debate occurs in Congress formally, or in public generally, I would like to highlight two specific questions that the country should be addressing soberly.
1. Is the country willing to provide the troops needed for any war contingencies by a general draft of the public? During the decades-plus Iraq War and Afghanistan War, this country began a shameful, exploitive process of repeatedly deploying National Guard troops, while sparing the general population from any military draft. By the end of the Iraq War, the National Guard had over 300,000 deployments. Similar multiple deployments of the National Guard occurred during the 20 year Afghanistan War.
This cannot become the new normal. Any debate about whether the US should join a war against Iran cannot turn on breathless speculation about “bunker buster bombs,” or missile/drone technology, but has to operate on the assumption that a general military draft may be necessary. It goes to the very crucial question: are you willing to fight, or have your children fight, in this war? To not ask the question at all is criminal.
2. Are we willing to increase taxes to pay for this war with Iran? Wars cost tremendous sums and so, historically, countries that go to war increase taxes on the population. Again, this basic fact stopped with the Iraq War. “[The Iraq War] may be the first war in history — in the history of the world — in which there was a tax cut rather than a tax hike," said Alan S. Blinder, a Princeton University economist and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. Again, like with the draft participation, is this a war you are even willing to pay for?
I have a daughter in her twenties, and she and her friends do not have any lived experience that the President does not decide if we go to war, that war means — directly and chillingly — possible participation through a military draft, or even that war can mean a higher tax in your weekly pay-check. Combined with Congress’s utter abdication, we no longer have a responsible and reality-based debate even on an issue like war.
But this is still a result of complacency. Responsible, thoughtful people have to demand better. Democratic leadership in Congress needs to push this to the front now. Why else are they in office? To vote for cryptocurrency?
