Twice now the President has conducted military operations outside the permission of Congress. First, in Venezuela, where we deposed the leader and blockaded the country. Second, in Iran where we assisted Israel in bombing the Ayatollah and senior members of his government.
These are acts of war. Perpetrated by a President who shows total disregard for the limitations of power designed in our Constitution. While Venezuela did not retaliate, Iran has and American lives have been lost.
These acts of war have happened. It’s no use debating whether they should have happened, they did, and now we are left with the consequences.
What will the consequences be? On the best-case-scenario side are: both nations establish better governance, including freedom and liberty for their respective people, and economic success and prosperity for their nations and the surrounding region. Think rainbows and kumbaya circles.
That’s the best case scenario. It doesn’t include anyone clapping us on the back for our interventions, congratulating us on being right all along. That will never happen. Best case scenario doesn’t even include a positive note in the history books that reads: American interventionism wins again! Which, of course, would be obligatory were we to score another huge win like in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Oh. Wait.
Worst case scenario includes World War III erupting in response to American aggression. An almost-as-bad scenario is where President Trump assembles a Board of Peace, dozens of countries line up to praise his visionary efforts, and then two weeks later, he bombs Iran.
Peace. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
How is this peace? How is this legal? How does this keep happening
Nevertheless, we’re in it now. And the consequences will be ours to bear.
Here is what we know to be true about American interventionism: someone is getting rich. There is money at play here, maybe even multiple parties benefitting from these acts of war. Whether it’s access to natural resources like oil, or lucrative contracts for security, military, or reconstruction, there’s money to be made in war.
While most of the miseries of the world are caused by war, someone is always getting rich.
What can regular citizens do about it?
Support our troops. They’re volunteers who do the work we ask them to do without complaint. Hug your service members and tell them you’re proud of them.
Call your Congressman. Tell them to take back their authority. Only Congress can declare war and the President has now committed two acts of war without authorization. Do something about it or it will only happen again. And again. We have three more years in this presidency. The potential for further recklessness is unlimited. Someone is already talking about Cuba.
Check on your neighbors. We have Venezuelan and Iranian refugees living among us, people who are grateful to see their homelands liberated, but who worry about the future. We have Israeli and Jewish people in our community who worry about their safety in the Middle East but also in the U.S. as anti-semitism surges worldwide. These are our neighbors. We go to school and church and July 4th fireworks celebrations with them. We should love them though this.
Vote for something different. When we keep doing what we’ve always done, we keep getting what we’ve always gotten: a political machine that wields a war machine. A duopoly happy to make some people rich and other people dead.
Ask yourself do the ends really justify the means? Does the removal of a nuclear threat justify bombing a sovereign nation? Does another nation’s corruption justify kidnapping its leader? Would it be justified if another nation did it to us? Really think about the results of American interventions overseas. Decide for yourself if you believe the machine when it says this was necessary. That it was justified. Decide if this is who you want America to be: the country that goes around, unprovoked, punching other countries in the face.
In the Libertarian Party, we believe in the non-aggression principle. Initiation of physical force, violence, or fraud against another person or their property is wrong. Always.
As the United States was not attacked by Venezuela or Iran, I oppose the use of force in both circumstances.
Presidents cannot be allowed to go to war at will or on whims. We are not the world’s policemen. We are not playground bullies. Unprovoked violence leads to just one thing: more violence.
I support our troops. I am checking on and loving my neighbors. And as your Senator, I will condemn the initiation of violence in any theater, in any capacity. Always.
One million South Carolinians know the government isn’t working for us. So let’s do something about it.
Ready to get in the game? We could use your help. Complete the form below.
In the libertarian party we believe in the right to bear arms and to defend ourselves; that to have liberty we must defend it from those that wish to take it.
‘Death to America’,‘suicide bombers’, attacks from proxies and persuing nuclear weapons, must you be destroyed before you defend yourself?
Must you wait until the attacker pulls the trigger to resist?
We must be sure of our motives. We must also insure we are safe to exist and enjoy our liberty.
Thanks for reading. I believe our best defense is economic prosperity for all. Every decision, every opportunity, should be fully evaluated – not hurried into at the urging of actors who benefit from aggression. War is not a game. There are real consequences for unilateral military action.
Thank you very much for answering. I have been looking for the best candidate to vote for. The pickings have been wanting. Paul Dans was close but had difficulty relating to rural SC.
The shining beacon on a hill is who we should be. Economic prosperity is currently limited by the great ball and chain of government. There is often little left for growing, building and producing beyond comfortable subsistence. People should be able to spend and support what they wish with their earnings and have those industrial productions prosper. We all get more of what we actually want. Your economics seem solid.
Unfortunately, the more you have the more of a target you are for those that want to take from you or those who simply want to destroy you from jealously or some religious indoctrination that leads to a near insanity.
You reason with reasonable people. You cannot reason with the unreasonable. Weeding is no fun. Unfortunately Weeds left untended will take over and leave no room for more productive plants.
Defense of liberty is necessary. The military industrial complex robbing us all is also wrong.
‘Death to America’ while building nuclear weapons is no different than someone threatening to kill you and loading their gun. You can’t reasonably wait to defend yourself when they have you in their sights. It is then too late.
There is no way to have anything others want without the strength of yourself, your community or government to keep it from being taken from you.
While many people in this world will respect you and your rights, it only takes one to violate your treasures.
I struggle in the garden because I know about of plants. I see the value in many of the weeds, I hate to kill them but I know I must or I will have nothing of value.
You seem to see the need for weeding in many areas of government spending.
I’m curious about your views on the killer of Iryna Zarutska. Must we all pay for his support for the duration of his life or how should that be handled?
Hi, Forrest.
My father is a US Marine, a USNA graduate class of 1972. I grew up in the military industrial complex. I believe in military readiness and I know the biggest threat to national security is our national debt. I’m concerned about the over-pricing of all government contracting from military contracts to Medicare to big tech. As your Senator, I will encourage transparency and debate around proposed military action and focus on defense that is rational, compassionate, and humane.
I do not support capital punishment, not even for the worst criminals among us, like the man who murdered Iryna Zarutska. That said, criminal justice is not my area of expertise. So I would be sure to seek counsel, learn, and represent South Carolina’s interests on any topic or issue related to criminal justice.
Thanks for reading. I hope I’ll earn your vote.
Kasie
I already see needs to edit but don’t know how. I hope my points are not lost in the details of writing.