By the body of American legislative tradition, no this is not an act of war. In fact, we haven't declared one since WWII.

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BartjeD 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

If Mexico bombed area 51 with bunker busters and stealth planes, it would be interpreted as a declaration of war.

By anyone. The world over.

If you're seriously saying this isn't war, bombing Iran, you're just engaging in willfull self deception at this point.

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zorobo 8 hours ago | parent [-]

I don’t recall USA saying death to Mexico

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dunekid 8 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Squint a bit harder and see if US toppled a democratically elected government in Mexico and installed a cruel dictator for oil? And shot down a civilian flight from Mexico? Maybe not.

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BartjeD 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

So if we change the example to Canada, responding to threats of annexation, you'l engage on the point in substance?

	▲	zorobo 18 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I didn't know the US envisions throwing Mexicans and Canadians to the sea (at best)

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alkonaut 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Bombing government military infrastructure (not terrorist cells or similar) is as clear as it gets.

If this isn’t an act of war then nothing is. And that’s a terrifying thought because that means a single person can start a war without congressional approval. Even impeachment doesn’t help prevent war since it’s after the fact.

What happens if a president orders strikes on a friendly country? It could be due to dementia, narcissistic personality disorder, personal vendettas (hypothetically, in real life I trust the US wouldnt elect that kind of person).

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einpoklum 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C11-2...

Use of military force requires congressional approval.

Well, in principle. In practice, the US executive does not observe this restriction, or at most - makes a flimsy connection the 2001 AUMF following the twin towers attack. The courts do not enjoin it from using military force pretty much arbitraly; and congress does not impeach nor even adopt declarative denunciations of this behavior.

	▲	Refreeze5224 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		George Washington was the first president to take military action without congressional approval, so on the sense of precedent providing legality, it's quite an old concept.

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BartjeD 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

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PeterHolzwarth 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

WWII was the last time American declared war.

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khazhoux 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

We were already at a declared war at that time.

	▲	BartjeD 11 hours ago \| parent [-]
		The point being that under your definition, a thermo nucleair device also isnt a declaration of war. Hence highlighting the completely schizofrenic bind this position entails. Because no one would consider a nuke anything other than a war, and the same applies to these planes dropping these bombs.