<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5zNwOeyuG84" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
But "international authority" is.... Seems to me the US Military now takes it's marching orders from the UN and NATO, instead of the US Congress. In the middle of the grilling, Panetta said the Executive would decide if they wanted to get permission from Congress.
Exactly. Even Bush went to Congress for permission. Obama ignored Congress for Libya. I suspect he will ignore Congress if action is necessary in Syria or Iran. Dangerous precedents set by a President.
Oh yeah, congress. They've proved to be such a smart group when it comes to deciding on war. Frankly, the UN has made better decisions, and the international community has been a better judge of the morality and necessity of military interventions than our own congress.
Article II, Section 2, the Constitution says that "The president shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States." So while only Congress can technically declare war, the president is in charge of the military - and can decide when and where it is deployed. Which helps explain why America hasn't actually declared war since World War 2. President Harry Truman didn't go to Congress for a formal declaration of war in Korea, mandating that the U.S. involvement was simply a "police action." That example has been followed in the years since.
Does anyone else see a theme emerging here? To hell with the rule of law, to hell with the Constitution. The Executive does what it wants. We make the rules. Obama, Holder, Panetta, these guys are claiming HUGE powers. Bush was a fucking shithead. Warrantless spying, FBI writing their own warrants, stripping citizens of citizenship, torture, open borders. But Obama? Fuck, this guy took it all to the next level x10. Indefinite detainment of citizens, assassinating citizens inside the US, war-on-demand (no Congressional oversight)?!