• rivermonster@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Congress has wanted nothing to do with conflicts in an official capacity for the last 50-60 years. They want sound bytes in unofficial interviews for grandstanding and to be able to blame everyone else.

    This is actually a result of those decades of congress, regardless of party in control, abdicating their constitutional duty. For a recent example, check out post 9/11 and congress.

    • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      This. A thousand times this.

      Both Obama and Biden have been more than willing to sign a repeal or massive overhaul of the AUMF, but both chambers of Congress and members of both parties therein are cowards who would rather cheer or criticize in front of a camera and microphone than perform their Constitutional duties of checking the power of the Commander in Chief.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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        10 months ago

        If they were willing to sign a repeal of it, nothing stopped them from simply not using it. The AUMF didn’t make them start wars.

        • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago
          1. Not a war.
          2. They have a responsibility to carry out such actions in the presence of Congressional inaction and cowardice.
          3. As long as the AUMF exists and is in effect, it is both legally and effectively the role of the President to act under its grant of authority in accordance with its purpose.
          • novibe@lemmy.ml
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            10 months ago

            “The law says we have to kill whoever we want! You wouldn’t us to break the law would you??”

            • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Cool comment my dude. But, I bet you could be even more reductive and purposefully obtuse if you tried. Give it a go; I’m eager to see you progress.

              • Promethiel@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                Shame on me for not adding to the discussion but the caffeine still ain’t hit. I just want to say for some reason that seeing a willingly obtuse clown be challenged to be even more so genuinely made me giggle for some reason. Thank you.

              • novibe@lemmy.ml
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                10 months ago

                I’m sorry but saying the president can, so they have to, is the most reductive thing I’ve ever seen. It’s the epitome of absolute ideology. Thinking a piece of paper absolves the genocidal actions of anyone……

                • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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                  10 months ago

                  Targeted killings of senior leaders in the Islamic extremist movement is hardly genocide. We have an actual fucking genocide in progress to reference and you want to sell us on the idea of drone strikes as genocide?

                  • novibe@lemmy.ml
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                    10 months ago

                    The attack was to support Israel in their genocide. It wasn’t an act of genocide, but you can’t deny it was an act in the aid of genocide.

              • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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                10 months ago

                As long as the AUMF exists and is in effect, it is both legally and effectively the role of the President to act under its grant of authority in accordance with its purpose.

                Nah, this bullet is an off the wall insane interpretation of the AUMF. They were 100% right to mock you for it. Not to mention that the AUMF is actually about September 11, and specifically textually so, not just in motivation. Did the Houthis plan, execute, or shelter those responsible? It’s been a huge stretch to even use it how it’s been used. It’s not in any way, shape, or form a requirement to go fight other random Islamic groups, whether or not they deserve it.

        • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          Given that actual US Navy ships have been getting attacked and this is largely in retaliation of that, I think it stretches the imagination a bit to say that the US started this.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            10 months ago

            From where did you get this opinion? None of the articles I’ve read about the US attack have mentioned an attack on the US Navy. The closest I could find in a search was missiles that landed 10 nautical miles away from a Navy ship in November. Which, at the scale of the ocean is sorta close, but it’s a stretch to call it an attack in need of immediate retribution. All the direct justifications presented by the US are that this is in response to and designed to deter their attacks on commercial shipping.

              • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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                10 months ago

                This doesn’t seem to be in response to the thread. The Axios link doesn’t say anything about an attack on the US Navy. The second link has a mention by Biden of “US ships” (not Navy) as targets, but the linked story only says a British navy ship may have been targeted, but they weren’t sure. I’m well aware they’ve been attacking shipping, that’s not in question and not what I’m responding to.

    • Justin@lemmy.jlh.name
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      10 months ago

      At the same time, we shouldn’t be defeatist when it comes to ethics and holding our government branches accountable. If they are arguing in good faith, we should support efforts for more transparency and secure processes.