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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Who has the POWER to make WAR?, December 11, 2005
This review is from: War Powers: How the Imperial Presidency Hijacked the Constitution (Hardcover)
Political science professor (University of California - San Diego) Peter Irons poses to answer one question, "Why and how do we go to war?" "War Powers" is a clear and concise answer to the question that starts with exploring our country's humble beginnings, the framing of the U.S. Constitution (1787), to probing the background of George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq (2003).
The subtitle of Irons' book, "How The Imperial Presidency Hijacked The Constitution," is a precise foreshadowing of the book's contents. Irons' meticulous research, most notably the actions of presidents beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt and on, are powerful reminders of how presidents have overstepped their constitutional powers. The author stresses Congress has only declared five wars as Congress continued to abdicate its constitutional war power while the presidency became increasingly imperial. Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and both Bushs have all claimed an "inherent" right to initiate military action without prior congressional approval.
"War Powers" is valuable for it shows how the U.S. rose to its current position as the sole supreme power. But more importantly, the treatise is a warning and a call to return war-making powers "to their constitutional home in Congress, as the Framers intended." Irons shines light on the erosion of our country's foundation, which often has been completely dismissed by presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt who stated, "The Constitution is just a piece of paper."
Bohdan Kot
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good account of the evolution of Presidential Ceasarism, December 11, 2005
This review is from: War Powers: How the Imperial Presidency Hijacked the Constitution (Hardcover)
Mr. Irons presents a good history of the deterioration of our government's understanding of the war-making power, from the democratic mechanism enshrined in our Constitution by our Founding Fathers requiring Congressional authorization for war, to the dictatorial war-making powers claimed (and exercised) by modern day Presidents, and abetted by a supine Congress.
There should be no dispute that the Founding Fathers intended that Congress should initiate war and the President should merely prosecute it, until the Congress decides to conclude hostilities. James Madison said, "...those who are to conduct a war cannot in the nature of things, be proper or safe judges, whether a war ought to be commenced, continued or concluded. They are barred from the latter functions by a great principle in free government, analogous to that which separates the sword from the purse or the power of executing from the power of enacting laws". (pg 26) The Constitution spells out that intention with utter clarity, and it appears that the US government respected that provision until the Lincoln regime, when the old Constitutional order was finally overthrown, although technically Lincoln claimed he was suppressing a rebellion, rather than fighting a formal "war". Some may point to President Polk's instigation of the Mexican War as the point when this Constitutional balance was first challenged, but I would view Polk's military machinations as duplicitous, manipulative and certainly illegal, but not as a direct legal challenge to the war-declaring powers of Congress. A previous reviewer points to unilateral military actions on the part of Washington and Jefferson, but I'm not sure what he's referring to. In response to barbary piracy, Washington sent Congress a message saying that, "...it rests with Congress to decide between war, tribute and ransom as the means of re-establishing our Mediterranean commerce". (pg 30) Jefferson as well asked Congress in 1801 for_permission_to send warships to protect US ships from the Barbary pirates. (pg 42) Both Presidents made explicit declarations of Congressional supremacy in that regard. People may debate exactly when the Constitutional arrangement really started to fall apart, but I think it is pretty certain that it really first began to be challenged in the early 20th century, with Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, etc. leading to the obscene modern spectacle of a whole string of Presidents explicitly declaring that they alone have the power of unleashing war on any country in the world.
It is almost unbelievable that there are men in a Democratic Republic, besides Ceasar-worshippers, dual loyalist war-mongers (neoconservatives) and arms dealers who would tolerate such an idea from an American Chief Executive, but such men exist in abundance today, in government, academia and opinion-shaping industries who not only tolerate such an idea but promote it for their own perverted ends. That's where I wish Mr. Irons would have expanded his topic- the reasons and motivations behind the mass acquiescence to a dictatorial power-grab by the Executive branch. Is it cowardice? Intimidation? Ignorance? I wish we could have heard some theories about this. Also, in his section on the curtailment of civil liberties during wartime, I wish he would have made mention of the great Sedition trials of WW II, but perhaps the story of those victims, being right wingers, don't register on the radar screens of left-wing professors. Also, Mr. Irons blames the ambiguity and toothlessness of the War Powers Resolution for continued Presidential defiance of the Constitution but I don't believe he made mention of the fact that the Supreme Court has actually struck down certain portions of the resolution. Apart from those quibbles, this is a very good book which liberty-loving citizens should read and act upon, if they value the freedoms bequeathed to us by our Founding Fathers and maintained, to varying degrees of success, by the blood, sweat and treasure of generations of patriots.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
How We Got An Emperor, December 19, 2009
WAR POWERS by Peter Irons is a history book addressing the authority to declare war.
It starts with the Continental Congress and the positions of various delegates regarding executive powers.
Mr. Irons provides some pertinent quotes such as this from page 34-
"In no part of the Constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war and peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department".-James Madison.
An interesting aspect of his journey through presidential history is that some favorite presidents trespassed the Constitution on the issue of waging war and admitted doing so. Others like Wilson and Bush II viewed it far differently.
Mr. Irons explains that over the course of American political history it wasn't only Congress abdicating it's Constitutional duty that was partially at fault. The Supreme Court during different eras deferred to the president or simply avoided the issue by labeling it a "political issue".
He explains the correlation between corporate interests and the global network of military bases.
The author quoted one phrase from Justice Davis' 1866 writing on the Milligan case that bears repeating in this review. It's even more important today that it was 140 + years ago.
"The Constitution of the United States is a law for rulers and people, equally in war and in peace, and covers with the shield of its protection all classes of men, at all times, and under all circumstances." -Justice David Davis.
As a book on imperial presidential ambitions and history, this book is unbiased.
It's a little dated (2005) but worth reading for understanding how war powers have been taken over by the executive branch and how the other two branches of government have reacted.
This book also examines how the executive branch has infringed on individual rights of citizens and non-citizens alike. One prime example he cites is the internment of Japanese-American citizens during WWII.
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