Kucinich Stands in Opposition to Permanent War and the National Security State

Dandelion Salad

by Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich
Washington, May 24, 2011

Image by ЯAFIK ♋ BERLIN via Flickr

Congress Must Not Declare Permanent War Anywhere

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), a leading advocate for peace, today offered a broad critique of the National Defense Authorization Act which continues disastrous policies in Libya, and allows for permanent, global war and reauthorizes harmful provisions of the Patriot Act:

See the video here. [see below] The text of the Congressman’s remarks follow:

“I am offering an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill which would defund the war in Libya.

“The war is unconstitutional. The President did not come to this Congress, he went to the U.N. Security Council, he went to a number of international bodies, but he didn’t come to the United States Congress. Last week, the President did not observe the tolling of the War Powers Act, so he’s in violation of the statute.

“The action over in Libya has already exceeded the U.N. mandate; it’s in violation of the U.N. mandate and there have been violations of international law.

“What are we doing there? Why does anyone think we can afford it? Why aren’t we trying to find a path to peace so we aren’t called upon to spend more money there? These are questions we have to be asking; that’s why Congress needs to say we’re not going to spend more money there.

“People are saying it’s not the United States, it’s NATO. The Guardian in the U.K. did a study which showed that 90% of the cruise missiles are paid for by the U.S. Sixty-six percent of the personnel working against Libya are from the U.S., 50% of aircraft, 50% of all ships – and our government is saying this is a NATO operation? We have to recognize what’s going on here, which is an expansion of the war power by the Executive and it’s time we challenge that.

“One thing we certainly shouldn’t do is to support the amendment offered by my friend, Mr. McKeon, which will hand over to the President Congress’ constitutional authority to declare and authorize war, substantially altering the delicate balance of power the Founding Fathers envisioned.

“The annual re-authorization contains unprecedented and dangerous language which gives the President virtually unchecked power to take this country to war and to keep us there. The bill substantially undermines the Constitution, the institution that the Constitution set up that is Congress and sets the United States on a path to permanent war. Congress has to protect the American people from the overreach of any Chief Executive — Democrat, Republican — any Chief Executive who’s enamored with unilateralism, preemption, first strike and the power to prosecute war without constitutional authority or statutory prescriptions.

“Permanent global war isn’t the answer. It’s not going to increase our national security. Far from ridding the world of terrorism, it will become a terrorist recruitment program. The war in Iraq is based on lies; the war in Afghanistan is based on a misreading of history. Yet in Iraq we’ll spend over $3 trillion. In Afghanistan we’ve spent over half a trillion dollars.

“We have people out of work here. We have people losing their homes, losing their health care, losing their retirement security. All we hear from the White House is ‘we want more war or more authorization for more war.’ We have to stop that and while stopping that we have to stop this national security state and stop the extension of the Patriot Act which is also in this bill.”

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DJKucinich on May 24, 2011

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), the leading advocate for peace in the Congress, today offered a broad critique of the National Defense Authorization Act which continues our disastrous policies in Libya, allows for permanent, global war and reauthorizes harmful provisions of the Patriot Act.

Kucinich Stands in Opposition to Permanent War and the National Security State

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Congressman Kucinich discusses the War Powers Resolution and his bill to end the war in Libya with Fox Business News’ Lou Dobbs.

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Kucinich Discusses his legislation to end the war in Libya

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Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) discusses the war in Libya with Fox News’ John Roberts. On Monday, May 23, 2011, Congressman Kucinich based on the War Powers Resolution to end the war.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich discusses the war in Libya

see

Pepe Escobar: The Hijacking of the Arab Spring Protests, interviewed by Peter B. Collins and Sibel Edmonds

Bomb Everything in Libya – Pirates of the Mediterranean By William Bowles

Critically Analyze What the President Does, not What he Says by Dennis Kucinich