Trump didn't need congressional approval because there was no declaration of war

[Anti Federalist]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMFH

[William Tell]

Ya, if Putin did it to us it would totally be war though.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

It was a po-lice action!

[CPUd]

John Mcain said he could do it because of the 2001 AUMF.

[AuH20]

War Powers Act gives the POTUS 90 Days to start WW3 to conduct military exercises in a time sensitive situation.

[angelatc]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMF

Right. Striking another country with missiles and bombs isn't an act of war. That's why we stayed out of WWII, because Pearl Harbor was not an act of war.

[misterx]

We can't go to war unless Congress declares it, and it's not a war if Congress didn't declare it. It sounds like this guy just put an end to war by using circular logic. This is great, now we can blow things up whenever we want without the negativity associated with war.

[Anti Federalist]

We can't go to war unless Congress declares it, and it's not a war if Congress didn't declare it. It sounds like this guy just put an end to war by using circular logic. This is great, now we can blow things up whenever we want without the negativity associated with war.

That's pretty much word for word what I told him.

[Anti Federalist]

War Powers Act gives the POTUS 90 Days to start WW3 to conduct military exercises in a time sensitive situation.

It provides that the U.S. President can send U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress, "statutory authorization," or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."

[CaptUSA]

War Powers Act gives the POTUS 90 Days to start WW3 to conduct military exercises in a time sensitive situation.

...In a national emergency following an attack on the country or territories. Which one was this?!

[CaptUSA]

It provides that the U.S. President can send U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress, "statutory authorization," or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."

Beat me to it by a second.

[nikcers]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMF

There's always that gung ho attitude people get, think of it like when Trump was for Iraq- you know after we invaded and there was so much American pride because we were making the middle east safe for democracy and we were getting them back for hating us for our freedom and for 9/11 and we were going to take their oil to pay for the war. Then after we lost the war, we got rid of the fourth amendment- people started to hate the war and Trump was against it. I think the problem is not that Americans hate war, I think its the opposite. I think our culture loves wars like we're some great conquerors of the world, we just hate losing them even more.

[Anti Federalist]

Meet the new boss...

[Anti Federalist]

There's always that gung ho attitude people get, think of it like when Trump was for Iraq- you know after we invaded and there was so much American pride because we were making the middle east safe for democracy and we were getting them back for hating us for our freedom and for 9/11 and we were going to take their oil to pay for the war. Then after we lost the war, we got rid of the fourth amendment- people started to hate the war and Trump was against it. I think the problem is not that Americans hate war, I think its the opposite. I think our culture loves wars like we're some great conquerors of the world, we just hate losing them even more.

[Brian4Liberty]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMFH

So he wouldn't mind if someone fired a rocket into his living room?

[Brian4Liberty]

...In a national emergency following an attack on the country or territories. Which one was this?!

Someone killed a puppy in China and ate it for dinner tonight. Trump was very affected by the video. Fire some missiles into China, it's not an act of war.

[nikcers]

So he wouldn't mind if someone fired a rocket into his living room?

and now you are on a government watch list.

[AuH20]

Someone killed a puppy in China and ate it for dinner tonight. Trump was very affected by the video. Fire some missiles into China, it's not an act of war.

If child safety was a paramount concern, Trump could fire cruise missiles into the Hollywood Hills.

[Weston White]

<utter_bollocks>Under our "living" U.S. Constitution, were there are no boots on the ground, such is merely a defined 'kinetic action' and not an act of war--and this includes the usage of unmanned drones.</utter_bollocks>

[jmdrake]

Ya, if Putin did it to us it would totally be war though.

According to Dick Cheney the phony, Russia allegedly hacking the DNC and revealing to the world what Bernie Sanders already knew, which is that Hillary cheated, was an act of war.

[jmdrake]

Meet the new boss...

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Anti Federalist again.

Obama = Trump = Bush = Clinton

Don't you ever get sick of being right all the time? I do. It's like we got the Cassandra gene or something. (For those who don't know that was the Greek prophetess who was cursed that nobody would ever believe her prophecies until it was too late. Kind of like the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah.)

[timosman]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMFH

What is actually an act of war?

[timosman]

If child safety was a paramount concern, Trump could fire cruise missiles into the Hollywood Hills.

You are so cruel to the artists.

[jmdrake]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMFH

Your acquaintance gets this.

[Anti Federalist]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Anti Federalist again.

Obama = Trump = Bush = Clinton

Don't you ever get sick of being right all the time? I do. It's like we got the Cassandra gene or something. (For those who don't know that was the Greek prophetess who was cursed that nobody would ever believe her prophecies until it was too late. Kind of like the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah.)

Also pretty much what I told him, after he dragged an opinion out of me and then started arguing about it:

"Why the hell did you ask then? You've known me for over twenty years, what do you suppose my answer was going to be? I'm tired of talking about it, tired of shouting about it, tired of marching about it, tired of writing about it, tired of voting about it, but most of all just tired of being right all the time, and having to listen to and watch the nonsense unfolding all around me, utterly helpless to do a damn thing about it because nobody $#@!ing cares and nobody will pull their heads out their asses long enough to clean the $#@! out of their ears and $#@!ing listen! Trump outraged that he was placed under surveillance during the campaign? Assenholes! We warned you this was going to happen. The man Trump wants executed warned you this would happen! Why did Trump say in 2013 that ObombYa needed Congressional approval prior to bombing Syria? Because he does! $#@!! And here we go round and round again....$#@! me, I don't care any more."

[chudrockz]

This is so much fun, I cannot wait until 90% of the world's population is incinerated in a thermonuclear... non-declared police action. Good times!

[TheTexan]

It's usually a lot easier to get approval after you're already 50% through it with no going back anyway.

[nikcers]

It's usually a lot easier to get approval after you're already 50% through it with no going back anyway.

There is no going back on this with Russia, the "fog of the election" was lifted. Is what the Russians said- a military clash with Russia in Syria is now inevitable, and Trump is not going to go to congress.

[Michael Landon]

Such was the logic laid out by an acquaintance of mine tonight.

The points were two fold:

A - A flight of Tomahawk missiles was not an act of war.

B - Congress never declared war, so there was no war, therefore no Congressional approval was needed.

SMMFH

Sounds like the same discussion I had yesterday with a co-worker. After we finished talking I punched him in the face, when he tried to punch me back I told to stop because we weren't in a fight. Angrily he said we were in a fight because I punched him. I told him he's wrong because I never declared we were in a fight as I punched him so we weren't in a fight, just like he said dropping bombs on a foreign military base "isn't a war."

Okay, I didn't punch my co-worker but I did state my analogy to him but he still insisted what Trump did wasn't an act of war thus didn't need to be declared by Congress.

- ML

[timosman]

Sounds like the same discussion I had yesterday with a co-worker. After we finished talking I punched him in the face, when he tried to punch me back I told to stop because we weren't in a fight. Angrily he said we were in a fight because I punched him. I told him he's wrong because I never declared we were in a fight as I punched him so we weren't in a fight, just like he said dropping bombs on a foreign military base "isn't a war."

Okay, I didn't punch my co-worker but I did state my analogy to him but he still insisted what Trump did wasn't an act of war thus didn't need to be declared by Congress.

- ML

Well, let's be honest. We had the best intentions. That should count for something, shouldn't it?