James Madison Explains Why Bush Declared Endless War

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0207-05.htm

Published on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 by the Guardian / UK

Washington Digs In for a 'Long War' as Rumsfeld Issues Global Call to Arms
by Simon Tisdall

The Bush administration's re-characterisation of its "global war on terror" as the "long war" will be seen by critics as an admission that the US has started something it cannot finish. But from the Pentagon's perspective, the change reflects a significant upgrading of the "generational" threat posed by worldwide Islamist militancy which it believes to have been seriously underestimated.

The reassessment, contained in the Pentagon's quadrennial defence review presented to Congress yesterday, presages a new US drive to rally international allies for an ongoing conflict unlimited by time and space. That presents a problematic political, financial and military prospect for many European Nato members including Britain, as well as Middle Eastern governments.

According to the review, a "large-scale, potentially long duration, irregular warfare campaign including counter-insurgency and security, stability, transition and reconstruction operations" is necessary and unavoidable. Gone is the talk of swift victories that preceded the 2003 Iraq invasion. This will be a war of attrition, it says, fought on many fronts.

Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, suggested at the weekend that western democracies must acknowledge they are locked in a life or death struggle comparable to those against fascism and communism. "The enemy have designed and distributed a map where national borders are erased and replaced by a global extremist Islamic empire."


,,more..

(from, Alito - It's the Constitution That's At Stake, By Thom Hartmann
01/30/06)
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11718.htm

On April 20, 1795, James Madison, who had just helped shepherd through the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and would become President of the United States in the following decade, wrote:

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes. And armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few."

Reflecting on the ability of a president to use war as an excuse to become a virtual dictator, Madison continued his letter:

"In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended. Its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war...and in the degeneracy of manners and morals, engendered by both.

"No nation," our fourth President and the Father of the Constitution concluded, "could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."

<snip>

[malaise]

1. The US loves war

the last one was The Cold War. It gives them the right to kill at will in the name of any idea opposed to its own self interest.

[C_U_L8R]

3. US does not love war

Nazi f*ckheads like
Bush-Cheney-Rumsfield-Rove-et-al
love war
(because they and their friends profit from it)

[burythehatchet]

10. True, but

the US loves war. The US has always relied on war. I would recommend the documentary "Why we Fight". War is always our preferred solution because although our founding fathers were born of the French Enlightenment, everything they feared about the threats to their vision has come true.

[C_U_L8R]

16. US and Them

As delusional as it may seem in these times,
I hold onto a hope that this country belongs to the people...
even when it's been hijack by warmongers and profiteers,
US is us.... or at least it should be.

[Joe Fields]

23. Bullshit. Don't tell me America doesn't like War

From 1776 to the present, we as a nation have spent a total of FIFTY-NINE years at war with someone.

Since I have been alive, we have been in some state of war for twenty-two years. That is almost half of my life.

We are a warlike nation.

And my fear is that my son, who is eighteen, will NEVER see a moments peace.

[klook]

26. Only 59 years of war since 1776?

I would have guessed it was only 59 years without war since 1776. Gore Vidal's book Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace has a list of wars the U.S. has fought. It's astonishing to see this long, bloody list. The American Wermacht has been relentlessly driving forward for a long time.

And here's a similar list: http://www.historyguy.com/War_list.html#warlist12

[tabasco]

4. The republicans love war as long as other people are fighting it.

For some reason all these war-loving republicans are not flocking to the recruiter's office. :shrug:

The Army alone has over 50,000 troops on stop-loss because there are no replacements.

The recruiting crisis is a big problem for the chickenhawk republicans.

FOR DAMN SURE, they're not the ones who are going to sign up.

Their only hope is to increase recruiting or institute a draft.

They are too damn greedy to give a big pay raise to the military, and they have underfunded the VA in a time of "war."

They are afraid to bring back the draft - or are they? (Diebold?)

When will the People wake up and realize the cowardice of the ruling elite?

The chickenhawks will fight to the last drop of our blood

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. And paying for it.

"The republicans love war as long as other people are fighting it." And paying for it. The obscenely wealthy in this Country aren't being made to pony up one red cent, aren't sacrificing anything for this trumped, illegal war. Nothing new really. And for their tax cuts, real Americans are suffering while the GREEDY Rich worry about their next luxury purchase. I am fed up with this GREEDY bunch of entitled a$$holes! Now I read that the repugs want to reduce personal exemptions by 1/3 for 2006 on federal taxes. Next up mortgage interest and property tax deductions. Keep screwing the middle class over, just like St. Raygun did! This started with him.

[tabasco]

17. Fuckinay right.

But try telling a true believer that Saint Ronald was a crook and screwed the middle class and they think you're a raving lunatic.

These remaining assholes that still support Bush are like the true believers in 1984. They wait for the telescreen to tell them what to think. I keep telling myself this country can fix itself but the millions of apathetic ignorant dumbasses here makes me wonder.

Sometimes I wish this was two countries and the republicans could have their free-market plutocracy and the rest of us could have a real nice country. We would have to build real high walls because the people from Jesusland would be scrambling to get in, after they figured out they have been supporting rulers who don't give a good goddam about them.

On edit:

Speaking of Saint Ronnie, I never miss the opportunity to inform jackass republicans:
1. Ethical, noble Reagan provided weapons to both sides in a war. (Iraq / Iran). Talk about principles!
2. Great Saint Ronald gave lots of conventional weapons and even chemical weapons (nerve agent precursors!!) to Saddam Hussein!
3. Saint Ronnie had Ollie North deliver a birthday cake to Ayatollah Khomeni in duplicitous backdoor dealings with terrorists !
4. Noble Reagan gave money and arms to death squads (terrorists) opposing an elected government!!
5. Reagan the Brave refused to allow the Marines to fortify their compound in Beirut because it would be bad for the US's image. The US image really got hurt when those 250 Marines got blown up by Hezbollah and Reagan didn't do shit!! (except invade Grenada)

[G_j]

22. List of 21 Reagan administration convictions.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/17/194133/16

[acmejack]

7. I disagree, they love war for the economics of it.

Combat systems and the logistics required to support them involve a vast infrastructure employing a huge number of people. There is a gigantic bureaucracy that supports the military acquisition process, Carlisle Group, Lockheed-Martin, Northrup-Grumman love war.

[louis c]

2. Excellent

The founding fathers would HATE the Bush Administration.

Federalists (Adams and Hamilton) and Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson and Madison) alike would cringe at the constitutional interpretation by our present day elected officials.

[Bruce McAuley]

5. We love guns and armaments.

Always have, still do, and sell more than anybody in the world.
We HAVE to have endless war to continue our economy.
Big business wins again under Rummy, Bush and Cheney.
Waiting for the wakeup call.

Bruce

[louis c]

19. How prophetic

Three hours after your post about loving "guns" a news report breaks that cheney shoots someone while hunting.

Maybe you should do some predictions for profit.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. I've had enough of the Paranoid Schizophrenics

whose only solution to any problem is a military response.

Time to cut their budgets and kick them out of government.

Even if we spent just half the money we do now on HS and DOD and the other half on doing things to make the world a better place for everyone, we wouldn't need to worry so much about terrorism.

[malaise]

8. That's why I love this list so much

DEMOCRATS:

* Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.

* David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.

* Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.

* Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.

* Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.

* Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.

* John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Hearts.

* Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.

* Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam. Paraplegic from war injuries. Served in Congress.

* Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.

* Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.

* Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.

* Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.

* Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal.

* Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.

* Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.

* Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.

* Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.

* Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57

* Chuck Robb: Vietnam

* Howell Heflin: Silver Star

* George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.

* Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received #311.

* Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.

* Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953

* John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and AirMedal with 18 Clusters.

* Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.




REPUBLICANS -- and these are the guys SENDING PEOPLE TO WAR:




* Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.

* Dennis Hastert: did not serve.

* Tom Delay: did not serve.

* Roy Blunt: did not serve.

* Bill Frist: did not serve.

* Mitch McConnell: did not serve.

* Rick Santorum: did not serve.

* Trent Lott: did not serve.

* John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.

* Jeb Bush: did not serve.

* Karl Rove: did not serve. (Bush's Machiavelli)

* Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism. (You know what should be done to him!)

* Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve. Neocon warhawk

* Vin Weber: did not serve.

* Richard Perle: did not serve. Neocon warhawk

* Douglas Feith: did not serve.

* Eliot Abrams: did not serve.

* Richard Shelby: did not serve.

* Jon Kyl: did not serve.

* Tim Hutchison: did not serve.

* Christopher Cox: did not serve.

* Newt Gingrich: did not serve.

* Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.

* George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year National Guard; got assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate; failed to show up for required medical exam, disappeared from duty.

* Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non- combat role making movies.

* B-1 Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting was over in Korea.

* Phil Gramm: did not serve.

* John McCain: Vietnam POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Remember how the Bush campaign trashed him in the Republican primaries in 2000?

* Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.

* John M. McHugh: did not serve.

* JC Watts: did not serve.

* Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem, " although continued in NFL for 8 years as quarterback. (Win one for the Gipper!!)

* Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.

* Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.

* George Pataki: did not serve.

* Spencer Abraham: did not serve.

* John Engler: did not serve.

* Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base. (Our gift from Austria)




Pundits & Preachers


* Sean Hannity: did not serve.

* Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')

* Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.

* Michael Savage: did not serve.

* George Will: did not serve.

* Chris Matthews: did not serve.

* Paul Gigot: did not serve.

* Bill Bennett: did not serve.

* Pat Buchanan: did not serve.

* John Wayne: did not serve.

* Bill Kristol: did not serve.

* Kenneth Starr: did not serve.

* Antonin Scalia: did not serve.

* Clarence Thomas: did not serve.

* Ralph Reed: did not serve.

* Michael Medved: did not serve.

* Charlie Daniels: did not serve.

* Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don't shoot back.)


sp.

[Protagoras]

9. Kicked so people will remember this list

and hopefully pass it far and wide.

[malaise]

14. It's sure making the rounds on the internet n/t

[Deja Q]

12. Fritzy sold out. Look up the TCPA and "fritz chip"

He's not worthy to be on your list.

Here's a sample:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html

[Melissa G]

13. great list! n/t

[seemslikeadream]

15. Now everywhere is war

Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned -
Everywhere is war -
Me say war.

That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes -
Me say war.

That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race -
Dis a war.

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained -
Now everywhere is war - war.

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in angola,
In mozambique,
South africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed -
Well, everywhere is war -
Me say war.

War in the east,
War in the west,
War up north,
War down south -
War - war -
Rumours of war.
And until that day,
The african continent
Will not know peace,
We africans will fight - we find it necessary -
And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory

Of good over evil -
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil -
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil -
Good over evil, yeah!

Bob Marley

[Disturbed]

18. The Bush Regime wants to pretend that they...

can operate as if they are under the "War Powers Act" which can only be if Congress had legally declared War. The Bush Regime is stating that the IWR vote gives the Pres. the power of the "War Powers Act". It does not!

[G_j]

21. once I was confident too

In the victory
Of good over evil

now I'm just not sure

[G_j]

20. appropriate article in today's Toronto Star:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0212-01.htm

Published on Sunday, February 12, 2006 by the Toronto Star

New Name, Same Conflict
Remember the `War on Terror'? The Bush administration has subtly redubbed it `The Long War'
Some analysts see the name change as part of a battle to widen presidential powers

by Tim Harper

WASHINGTON — Deep in the bowels of the Pentagon, some of the country's finest military minds met recently, synthesizing ideas, debating proposals and trading strategies.

Their goal — a rebranding for the history books.
When they emerged, they had completed their semantic sleight-of-hand.

They had simply changed wars, consigning the "War on Terror" to the recycling bin and launching "The Long War."

In a George W. Bush White House well-schooled in the art of propaganda, an administration re-elected for its steely determination to stay on message, renaming a war is a new triumph of marketing.
..more..

[Kurovski]

24. Kick(nt)

[Kurovski]

25. Kick(nt)

[Babel_17]

27. Thank you

I may have found my new "signature" for use on another forum.

[G_j]

28. my sig line

are the words of John Adams btw, I just didn't have room to credit him.

[Emit]

29. Interesting that you should bring up Madison

Rove's "intellectual hero" is James Madison, according to this interview I excerpted on the link below (a post I made earlier on another thread). The article details Rove's interest in Madison and the Federalist Papers as they relate to a one-party system. Others believe that that is Rove's master plan.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2454504&mesg_id=2454782

My comments at link:

I think it is interesting, from this interview, that Rove seems to be exploring the use of Madison and the Federalist Papers in such a twisted way. This, in addition to how the neocons have used Machiavellian, Straussian, et al philosophy to shape their plans (let's not forget Michael Ledeen's fascination with fascism/obsession, particularly Italian fascism as a motivational force that he deems not necessarily a negative force) is very telling of their ultimate goals, IMHO.

[radio4progressives]

30. Outstanding Post -- kicked, Nominated, Bookmarked!

:applause: :hi:

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Yep

All for the power. 9/11 happened to change our countries laws for power and greed.

[G_j]

32. I have noticed that

RWingers get onto very thin ice when trying to argue with the 'founders' and the Constitution.
They run to 9/11 for cover.

[G_j]

33. ~~