Defund the War

Calling on Congress to endorse a war that the people reject is about as undemocratic as it gets.

After a lot of throat clearing, Chuck Hagel and Leon Panetta come up with the wrong answer:

There are four actions that Congress should take. It should approve a war powers resolution authorizing the war, take the time to evaluate any request for additional funding for the war and hold hearings to fully explore the actions, objectives and strategies of the administration in taking military action. The president and the Congress should work together to determine what an endgame to this war, a conclusion that would bring our forces home, looks like.

Other than holding hearings to grill the architects of the war and get them on the record, Congress should do none of this. The Iran war is a war of aggression and a crime against the Iranian people. Belatedly authorizing a war that should never have happened would be an endorsement of that crime. It is bad enough that members of Congress failed in their constitutional responsibilities when they did nothing to stop this war. To approve Trump’s actions after the fact would be so much worse.

The authors are taking a very strange position. They believe the president made a “terrible miscalculation” when he and Netanyahu started this war, but they still want Congress to rally behind that terrible decision and vote in favor of it. They seem to be well aware how damaging and dangerous the war is, but they can’t bring themselves to oppose it.

Hagel and Panetta write, “We need our lawmakers to step up and reassert their rightful role over war powers.” In the next breath, they urge them to surrender and accept the president’s fait accompli. Clapping like seals once the war has begun would not be reasserting Congress’ role in matters of war.

The authors wrap their argument in their concern for the military personnel serving in the president’s criminal war. I don’t doubt that their concern is genuine, but they have a strange way of showing it. Having Congress authorize the war and continue to fund it guarantees that U.S. forces in the region will be at much greater risk than if Congress shut down the war right away.

Hagel and Panetta say that “we must not allow political divisions and political interests to undermine our support for the dedicated men and women who risk their lives for America’s security and future,” but keeping them at war in a bad cause is the worst possible thing that could be done. Rarely has the appeal to “support the troops” been put to worse use. If we wish to do right by our military personnel, we should not send them to fight evil and indefensible wars.

Hagel and Panetta’s argument is completely out of touch with what most Americans want. The war is deeply unpopular and will only become more so. Calling on Congress to endorse a war that the people reject is about as undemocratic as it gets.

Congress should vote to halt the campaign and demand that the president withdraw U.S. forces from the conflict. We know the president will ignore that, so they should also refuse to approve any funding for it. Ideally, Congress would begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, Hegseth, and Rubio. Cutting off funding would force an end to our government’s part in this war.