[The following is taken from an e-mail of 5/20/2012 in response to an assertion that a majority of Americans, even Republicans, poll opposition to the current hostilities in central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.]
To be sure, many Americans POLL particular opposition to "The War," but they are also scared shitless about "tar-rism," and they see nothing fundamentally wrong with a president autocratically taking offensive military action (or murdering unarmed "tar-rists") on foreign soil without a congressional declaration of war, SO LONG AS they are patted on the head and are told it will suppress "tar-rism" or is otherwise in the nebulous, shifting, shadowy, bureaucratically-defined "National Interest" of America! This has been our dominant, politically-driven foreign and military philosophy since WWII.
I am very concerned that NEITHER major political party is willing to honor the constitutional restraints on executive power, the very thing (Mr. Scalia) most of the Founders were extremely concerned about. Had our Fearless Leaders over the years been thus concerned, MAYBE we would not have been so victimized by "tar-rists," and the Twin Towers might still be standing, but now we will never know because most everybody is thoroughly addicted to saber-rattling, muscle-flexing, drone-bombing, Executive-Branch-fashioned American imperialism. As Mel Brooks said, "It is GOOD to be king!"
The two majors may disagree on HOW "Separation of Powers" should be thus dishonored, but leaders in each have their own set of "core principles" by which they easily rationalize constitutional disregard as desired. THAT is our real problem, and the "booboisee" (thank you, H. L. Mencken) have no clue! Mitt Romney may be a an addled dunce, but Barack Obama is our current "problem." How might we intimidate and control those who are willing to commit suicide for THEIR core principles? Kill 'em all? Good luck. Round 'em up and send 'em to Gitmo? How many unconstitutional kangaroo courts ("military tribunals") do we create at taxpayer expense to put on sham trials for those folks? Who is fooled by all of that nonsense, besides gullible American "patriots"?
Most Americans hardly care, so long as it's somebody else doing the fighting and bleeding and dying while waving the Flag! Most Americans are a pathetic, witless gaggle of armchair patriots! It was proven thus during the Vietnam War, and it is being proven again in central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
Yee-hah!
