BRIEF COMMENTS ON OUR CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

   SOME BRIEF THOUGHT ON OUR CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

 Much has been written about the "Imperial Presidency," the slow yet huge accumulation of power by the executive branch of government.  It is  usually associated with rise of the American Empire and the glorification of the term, "commander-in-chief," the leader of the "free world."  

President Obama said yesterday that,  regardless of how the vote in Congress  on authorization of military strikes on Syria turned out, he has the authority to wage war, although he is denying that the use missile strikes is "war."  (If a foreign power used missiles on, say, Washington D.C. it is difficult to think that Barack "Red Line" Obama wouldn't think that was an act of war.)

Of course, it is Article One, Section Eight  of the Constitution that gives the war-making power to the Congress.  But this has been ignored ever since the Second World as the power of the Presidency as grown.  So, actually, Obama is in a long line of Presidents who have ignored the Constitution.

The American revolutionary war was, of course, fought against King George.  If he could see the power accumulated in the Presidency he would be most envious.  He would probably see Obama as some sort of emperor, not as an elected leader of the people.

The American people, by a large majority, are opposed to strikes on Syria.  But Obama says he's free to ignore their will.  What kind of a democracy do we really have, if we have one at all?