This War is Grounds for Impeachment

 Opposition to the War on Policy Grounds

People are angry about our attack on Iran. I have seen a lot of criticisms of this war. Some say that Trump is somehow a puppet of Netanyahu or of Israel. In this view, the war is just another example of how we have been tricked into supporting Israel, which is - as those who espouse this view see it - an anachronistic, colonialist project, which we should not support.

Another critique of the war says that it is all about oil. In this view, our attack on Iran is just another expression of our attempt to control, and to profit from the Middle East’s oil. A third critique says that this war is yet another expression of the power of what Pres. Eisenhower called “the military-industrial complex.” Those who espouse this view say in effect that we entered the war to provide an opportunity for the defense companies to make profits.

Those who hold these views criticize the war as policy. They say that it is a bad policy. They say that the majority of the American people oppose the war. They say that the United States should not have attacked Iran., but none of these critiques contest the president’s right to attack Iran. The people who hold these views say that the attack on Iran is bad but not that it is illegal.

Opposition to the War on Constitutional Grounds

I think that we should oppose the war on Iran because it is illegal. Our Constitution gives to Congress – and only to Congress - the right to declare war. While the president as commander in chief of the armed forces may engage them in military action without the approval of Congress, he may do so only in an emergency. The War Powers Act of 1973 states:

The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.

There has been no declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, and no one, including Mr. Trump, has alleged that Iran attacked “the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." So, this war has no legal basis at all, and Mr. Trump’s ordering our forces to attack Iran should be seen as an impeachable offence. He is a rogue president who is trampling on our Constitution and our democracy.

Some members of Congress recognize the situation for what it is, and they introduced a resolution to block the president from engaging in any further military action in Iran without congressional approval. The resolution failed because the president’s Republican supporters control both houses of Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson in a truly Orwellian moment even said that we are not at war.  He also said that the restrictions contained in the War Powers Act of 1973 are unconstitutional because they interfere with the powers granted to the president in Article II of the Constitution. He apparently believes that a president should be able to take this country into war whenever he feels like it, which is what Mr. Trump apparently believes as well.

This war is illegal, and that is why we should oppose it. Opposing it on policy grounds is a weak approach because there can always be disagreements about policies. The Vietnam War was bad policy, but it took ten years to bring it to a close. The Afghanistan War was bad policy, but it took twenty years to end it. This war is not just bad policy. It is illegal. It should be ended now, and the rogue how started it illegally should be impeached.

The Midterm Elections Are an Opportunity

Unfortunately, we won't be able to end the war or impeach the president now, but we can terminate the Republicans' control of Congress in this year's elections and thus open the possibility of ending the war next year.  If Trump's opponents take control of Congress, they will be able to put the brakes on his adventurism, and there have been many political and economic signs that his opponents may win this year's election. However, that will happen only if they work hard to make it happen. So, this is not a year to sit on the sidelines. Do whatever you can to help to take our country back from the madman now leading it. Let's end this illegal war!

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