Senior Seminar, Part 7 of 12

Introduction

            This is the unedited paper I wrote for my senior seminar back in 2007.  I am posting it as a sort of trip down memory lane during our current apocalypse.

            I have become a better writer since creating this.

            I have become much better informed since writing this.

            I am a very different person than when I wrote this.

Full Introduction Here

------------------------------------------------

Why Presidents Lincoln and Roosevelt were not exceeding their authority.

During times of war the President does gain an exceptionally large amount of power necessary to effectively command the populace toward victory.  Both of these instances were taken as part of much larger conflicts, and in such instances were the correct thing to do.  As both were taken in the context of war, neither action can be said to be used as precedence to take action in the bounds of peace time.  The absence of war from practice also prohibits such expansions of power.  These are not citable as true abuses of power.

Perpetual War

Currently the United States is engaged in multiple armed conflicts throughout the world, the President uses the word war to describe actions against drugs, poverty, and terrorism.  There are cultural wars, wars of spirituality, and numerous instances of such conflicts turning into real violence.  The United States has stopped declaring war, but in doing so we have not stopped being in conflict, and over tie through a loss of epistemological and legal context have entered into a perpetual state of perceived and actual war.  It is not uncommon to see the President justify actions taken in regards to nearly anything by using the phrase “we are at war” when we are not legally so.

Since we are perceiving our selves as being in war even when not legally in such a conflict, the distinctions cease to exist, and the capacity to assume additional powers in order to properly address conflict persist regardless of Congress’ having declared anything.  So the President detains people, the President uses Executive Privilege and bombs keep dropping.  The United States holds position a hairs breadth away from the President simply assuming all military powers he could assume during war time, and then expanding those powers to suit additional goals of the United States.

______________________________

            If you like or hate this please take the time to comment, share on Twitter (click that link to follow me), Tumblr, or Facebook, and otherwise distribute my opinion to the world.  I would appreciate it.