[thechat] Getting closer

[Erika Meyer]

>>Doesn't congress have to approve wars?
>
>Thanks,
>Lauri


ha ha ha ha ha!  Good one, Lauri.
Do you mean a Declaration of War?
occasionally it happens.

One way to get around it is to just start the war.
For example, US never fought a war in Vietnam.

"the closest thing there ever was to a declaration of war against
North Vietnam -- sailed through Congress on Aug. 7 (1964). (Two
courageous senators, Wayne Morse of Oregon and Ernest Gruening of
Alaska, provided the only 'no' votes.) The resolution authorized the
president 'to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack
against the forces of the United States and to prevent further
aggression.'"
http://www.fair.org/media-beat/940727.html

I am not certain but I think we'd already been involved in Vietnam
with covert military activity several years prior to this resolution.

It all sounds pretty familiar to me.

I dunno, maybe this is what you call "congressional approval" of a
war.  Congress can look good while being big fat wussies by giving
all their power away to the President.

And speaking of Vietnam, my boss, with his USC degree in polysci
tells me that the lowest approval rating Vietnam "military action"
ever had was 55%.  I don't have any way to verify this fact... or the
other fact he said which was that the gulf war approval rating never
went below 85-90%. (y'all are welcome to support or disprove this.)

So *if* 55% was the *lowest* approval rating Vietnam military action
got, what does that show?  And how are the poll questions being
asked, exactly... and of whom?

The administration expects the polls to rise once they actually
attack... you know, for the sake of those they've sent to do the
hands-on destruction.  And polls show that that is a likely scenario,
out of a perceived need for unity.

Erika

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