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The Founders Purposefully Made It Hard to Wage War

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At the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, Former congressman and presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul notes that Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff held indirect discussions with Iran this weekend over the nation’s nuclear program and presumably relations in general. Paul notes that it is unprecedented that such a meeting could be so consequential, in that a poor outcome could lead to the largest war since World War II.

The Founders, Paul explains, didn’t want it to be easy to go to war. A Declaration of War was required from Congress for any action outside an imminent threat to the country. He writes:

Unless the US is under direct attack or is facing imminent direct attack, the Constitution requires Congress to deliberate, discuss, and decide whether a conflict or potential conflict is worth bringing the weight of the US military to bear. They wanted it harder, not easier, to take us to war.

When wars can be started by presidents with no authority granted by Congress, the results can be the kinds of endless military engagements with ever-shifting, unachievable objectives such as we’ve seen in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We are currently seeing another such endless conflict brewing with President Trump’s decision to start bombing Yemen last month. The stated objectives– to end Houthi interference with Israeli Red Sea shipping – are not being achieved so, as usually happens, the bombing expands and creates more death and destruction for the civilian population. In the last week or so, US bombs have struck the water supply facilities for 50,000 civilians and have apparently blown up a civilian tribal gathering.

Despite Dr. Paul’s reservations, the administration is still touting its goal for peace. Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on X.com:

But there will be no quarter given to aggressors, apparently. The Defense Department explained via X.com this weekend that “Once the Houthis stop attacking us, we will stop attacking them… Until then, it will be UNRELENTING.”

But it appears that Witkoff’s discussions with Iran could be progressing, as he noted on Fox News that the administration could be satisfied with Iran enriching uranium for atomic power.

If Trump is looking for a way to ease tensions with Iran and restore peace in the Middle East, perhaps Dr. Paul and the Trump administration are more closely aligned than it appears. That would be the preference of all the “America First” voters who elected Trump to keep war declarations in the hands of Congress as the Founders intended.

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Richard C. Young
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