Congress Hands the Power to Declare War to Israel

Iran has made many concessions and is sincere in honoring their part of the agreement while negotiations continue, but Congress is hard at work trying its best to sabotage any possible agreement.

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(JAMESTOWN, RI) - It is small wonder that the US Congress lacks any credibility or respect among the US population. Recent polls show Congress with an approval rating of less than 11%, and their antics this week will plummet if the American public is allowed to hear what is being done without their knowledge or consent.

A bill is sailing through the Congress on “fast track”, which means is will not get the proper airing or discussion, but will be passed without debate or discussion. The bill, co-sponsored by 26 US Senators will get so much support from others in Congress it will be veto-proof.

What could be so important that Congress could act quickly and decisively and in such a bipartisan manor?

This bill in question would end diplomacy and bring war with Iran, just as we at long last have an interim agreement with them and negotiations are under way to eliminate any fear of their producing a nuclear bomb.

Iran has made many concessions and is sincere in honoring their part of the agreement while negotiations continue, but Congress is hard at work trying its best to sabotage any possible agreement.

The bill in question would impose new sanctions on Iran in the middle of negotiations, and further “requires” that if Israel decides to attack Iran, which they have been longing to do for years, we would have to support them with military, financial, and diplomatic cover for their aggression.

In other words Congress will give their power to make war to a foreign nation, and we will be “required” to go to war at another nation’s whim. Congress, having already abrogated its Constitutional duty to “declare war” to the executive branch, will now abrogate the power to declare war to the executive branch of another nation.

Another country will have the right to decide how many US boys must be sacrificed and the decision of whether US blood should be shed will be put into the hands of a foreign nation, and we will be “required” to die for “their” decision.

Why would any sane body reject negotiations and vote for war? It is quite apparent that the US Congress is far more responsive to the needs of another country, so they will pass a veto proof law telling US citizens you are “required” to sacrifice your life because another country has made that decision.

Your best interest’s and your nation’s are irrelevant.

This kind of perverted nonsense has occurred because the US Congress is far more responsive to the political pressure from pro-Israel supporters in the Congress, and from intense pressure from AIPAC, the most powerful PAC group in the country.

Obviously Congress is quite willing to supplicate before that group and lacks the backbone needed to stand on their own two feet and say: 1) renouncing diplomacy while negotiating peace is irrational and 2) allowing another nation decide that we go to war is irrational and illegal.

The Senators supporting this irrational nonsense are non-partisan with both parties willing to sacrifice American lives to placate a political pressure group, which further explains why Congress has little respect among US citizenry.

It is time the US public take action.

The Congress no longer represents the US public on this or any other issue. The nation wanted single payer health insurance but Congress does not, the nation wants large banks and Wall Street to be better regulated and controlled but Congress does not, the nation wants the large pharmaceutical companies to be better regulated but Congress does not, the nation wants a higher tax on millionaires but Congress does not, the public wants a substantial raise in the minimum wage but Congress does not, etc.

Congress, on any major issue, is not in step with the people, because they have sold themselves to the highest bidders such as large corporations, drug companies, health insurance companies, and powerful PACs.

Since neither party represents the will of the people, the public should simply walk away from them and support much more responsive third parties. Most people are afraid to do this and argue you are wasting your vote by supporting a third party because they can’t win, but ask yourself, are you “winning” now?

As long as the pubic continues to play the game and vote for either of the two major parties, we lose. When another nation is allowed to decide if you live or die in war, we lose. It is time you consider changing the rules and supporting third parties.

Salem-News.com Writer Joe Clifford, lives in historic Jamestown, Rhode Island, and has contributed a number of articles relating to foreign policy to newspapers in the Rhode Island area for years.

He graduated from Providence College where he earned an undergraduate and graduate degree. After a lengthy career as a high school teacher he turned to the study of US foreign policy, and then to writing, as a means of expressing an alternative perspective. His reading and research on foreign policy is broad and extensive, especially as the policy relates to the Middle East. His interest in foreign policy was inspired by the American misadventure in Vietnam. You can write to Joe at this address: jc21131@gmail.com