![]() ![]() The examples above are not isolated illustrations they form a pattern that carries forth from one post-World War II president to the next and all the way through the current administration. The cost to the nation from presidential errors, misjudgments, and deceptions has been heavy, both in material terms and the constitutional values of self-government and checks and balances. ![]() The Iran-Contra scandal during the administration of Ronald Reagan nearly led to his impeachment, revealing deliberate decisions by executive officials to secretly violate statutory policy. ![]() President Lyndon Johnson did receive authority from Congress for military action in Vietnam, but lies and deceptions by executive officials led to costly escalation of the war and severe harm to Johnson, his party, and the many killed in Southeast Asia. This unconstitutional war resulted in great damage to his presidency and his party and led to many deaths and casualties of Americans, Koreans, and Chinese. In 1950, President Harry Truman became the first president to go to war (against North Korea) without receiving authorization from Congress. Are we more confident today to accept unilateral decisions by single executive to take the country to war?įrom 1789 to 1950, presidents who sought to use military force against another nation came to Congress either for a formal declaration or specific statutory authority. Was Jay speaking purely of attitudes of the 18th century, with no relevance to our century? He was talking about fundamental human nature. 4 essay, single executives “will often make war when their nations are to get nothing by it,” reflecting their thirst for military and personal glory at cost to the country and its citizens. They knew that war is the nurse of executive aggrandizement and a threat to individual liberty. Constitution understood that the decision to initiate military actions against foreign nations should not be left to single executives. From their study of history, the framers of the U.S. ![]()
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