Should Americans get to 'Vote' on War?

[elaristotle]

I just read the James Fallows article in the Atlantic, and thought he made an interesting point. If the wars under the last two Presidents had been put to the American voters to decide - there would likely have been a very different outcome.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/12/the-tragedy-of-the-american-military/383516/
[link:http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/12/the-tragedy-of-the-american-military/383516/|

[yeoman6987]

1. Afghanistan would have been voted for by the American population

It was directly after 9/11 and it would have been approved. Iraq maybe not but if Congress voted yes. I am not confident enough to say that the population would have voted down the war in Iraq. Not confident at all.

[Victor_c3]

7. I'm not at all confident of that either

bush's approval rating was around 70% at the outbreak of the war on Iraq in spring 2003. In other words, 70% of Americans were excited and happy to see us go fight that war.

[KT2000]

2. Not a popular vote but

there should be a period for public comment that would be entered into the record. The public is not privy to all information and would be "lobbied" such as the "mushroom cloud."
At least public comment would be a vehicle to bring Congress accountable to the public for their actions.

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. I think a majority of Americans who vote could be convinced to let the government go to war

against anyone.

Midterms and special elections are notorious for low turn out, and most often the biggest turnout in these elections are conservatives, because historically they are more disciplined about voting than liberals.

Then there is the problem that in a real emergency, how long would it take to hold a nationwide election on a single issue. Elections are not called on short notice.

Even if we were not talking about changing the Constitution in a massive way, I don't think it would work to stop a war because voting patterns jsut bring in the usual conserative suspects to vote.

[PoliticAverse]

4. Even Congress doesn't vote on 'declarations of war' anymore and they are suppose to. n/t

[bemildred]

5. If our government wants to start winning wars, it had better get public consent first.

As long as it is content with losing wars, like now, there is no need, it's easy to lose wars.

[Victor_c3]

8. If you look at bush's approval rating at the start of both wars you'll see that he did have consent

If the public wasn't excited about shedding blood in the middle east, then his approval at the initiation of both of those wars would have been much lower.

The American people wanted those wars and they got exactly what they wanted.

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[Jappleseed]

6. Yes they absolutely should

And if you vote yes you go and fight it. Automatic sign up.