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PeterHolzwarth 14 hours ago

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

BartjeD 11 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.

zorobo 10 hours ago | parent [-]

I don’t recall USA saying death to Mexico

BartjeD 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

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

zorobo 2 hours ago | parent [-]

I didn't know the US envisions throwing Mexicans and Canadians to the sea (at best)

dunekid 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

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.

einpoklum 14 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 14 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.

alkonaut 11 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).

BartjeD 14 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

PeterHolzwarth 13 hours ago | parent | next [-]

WWII was the last time American declared war.

khazhoux 14 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

We were already at a declared war at that time.

BartjeD 13 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.