Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

n2doc

(47,953 posts)
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 10:25 AM Oct 2015

On Foreign Policy, Bernie Sanders Is the Democrat and Hillary Clinton Is a Republican

by H. A. Goodman


When evaluating the two choices for Democratic nominee, it's important to emphasize that voters will decide upon the next Commander in Chief. I state exactly why I'm only voting for Bernie Sanders in this YouTube segment, primarily because the next president will have monumental choices to make in terms of foreign policy. Because the presidency in this era of American history has more power to wage war than ever before, it's imperative that our Democratic nominee act more like a Democrat, than a Republican, on the topic of foreign policy.

The last time Congress declared war was in 1942. Bloomberg writes that nowadays, "Presidents cite unconventional threats and the need for flexibility and speed to deploy military force, sometimes with Congressional approval, sometimes without."

Although the Constitution states that only Congress can declare war, the War Powers Act of 1973 gives the President 60 days to send troops into battle without Congressional approval. Congress must vote to prolong a president's decision with funding or a resolution thereafter. According to Cornell University Law School, new legislation was needed after "the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon Administrations had spent nearly a decade committing U.S. troops to Southeast Asia without Congressional approval."

After 9/11, Bush expanded the war powers of the presidency with the Authorization for Use of Military Force against al-Qaeda. Today, President Obama is using the AUMF to fight ISIS and other terrorists, primarily in the Middle East.

Essentially, a president doesn't need Congressional approval to wage limited wars, or airstrikes and special operations missions. With prolonged wars like the fight against ISIS, President Obama has simply used Bush's AUMF, and the next president can do the same thing, with little obstruction from Congress.

more

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/on-foreign-policy-bernie-sanders-is-the-democrat-_b_8430036.html

21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
On Foreign Policy, Bernie Sanders Is the Democrat and Hillary Clinton Is a Republican (Original Post) n2doc Oct 2015 OP
and on the economy... tk2kewl Oct 2015 #1
and on closing private prisons 99th_Monkey Oct 2015 #5
yep... just keep on rolling tk2kewl Oct 2015 #6
And on public education d_legendary1 Oct 2015 #16
When I think about govenment gone wild ...this is what comes to mind ^^^^ L0oniX Oct 2015 #2
and for the rest of the world/humanity, this is more important than SCOTUS appointments stupidicus Oct 2015 #3
K & R AzDar Oct 2015 #4
K&R - waiting for the "Eeek! Goodman is a Rand Paul Libertarian!!" posts 99th_Monkey Oct 2015 #7
If you're saying you can rely on what a candidate says... yallerdawg Oct 2015 #8
Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2015 #9
HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!! WillyT Oct 2015 #10
More than just foreign policy. Domestic & economic policy, too. Triana Oct 2015 #11
It's safe to say the same is true of Domestic Issues as well. Bernie leads, NorthCarolina Oct 2015 #12
Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2015 #13
fuck H.A Goodman! Dr Hobbitstein Oct 2015 #14
Ah. I'd like to debunk that meme, if you will. Flying Phoenix Oct 2015 #18
Don't hear a peep from her about the 1998 "Iraq Liberation Act" either: cprise Oct 2015 #19
Roman emperors would be proud of our foreign policy if they were around today. Cleita Oct 2015 #15
I think even they knew not to overextend past some nice good river-boundaries, tho MisterP Oct 2015 #17
It is indeed an empire cprise Oct 2015 #20
Probably borrowed from the British Empire. The irony is we fought a revolution to Cleita Oct 2015 #21
 

tk2kewl

(18,133 posts)
1. and on the economy...
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 10:29 AM
Oct 2015

and on the death penalty...
and on civil rights...
and on government surveillance...
...
...

 

99th_Monkey

(19,326 posts)
5. and on closing private prisons
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 11:56 AM
Oct 2015

and on Social Security ..
and on climate change ..
and on TPP ...
and on campaign finance reforms ...
and on free public universities ..
and on (fill in the blank) ...

d_legendary1

(2,586 posts)
16. And on public education
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 01:12 PM
Oct 2015

And on Wall Street reform
And on Fracking
And on Keystone XL
And on Gay rights
And on Immigration policy
And on and on and on

 

L0oniX

(31,493 posts)
2. When I think about govenment gone wild ...this is what comes to mind ^^^^
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 11:15 AM
Oct 2015

extra judicial murder and endless war. Now we are looking at the last of Democracy with Bernie being to ONLY one with a chance to reverse some of the controls the oligarchy has over us.

yallerdawg

(16,104 posts)
8. If you're saying you can rely on what a candidate says...
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 12:00 PM
Oct 2015

especially on foreign policy, you don't pay attention to history.

But one historical fact, if our Democratic candidate appears weak on defense and crime, gets real beatable.

More like a Democrat? Like FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Clinton, Obama... all doves?

Response to n2doc (Original post)

 

Triana

(22,666 posts)
11. More than just foreign policy. Domestic & economic policy, too.
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 12:10 PM
Oct 2015

Don't get me wrong. Hillary will get my vote if nominated. Sanders though, is the real Democrat.

 

NorthCarolina

(11,197 posts)
12. It's safe to say the same is true of Domestic Issues as well. Bernie leads,
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 12:10 PM
Oct 2015

Hillary follows rhetorically with caveats.

Response to n2doc (Original post)

 

Flying Phoenix

(114 posts)
18. Ah. I'd like to debunk that meme, if you will.
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 02:31 PM
Oct 2015

From H.A. Goodman's article:


Remember that article on Rand Paul I wrote? Of course I never wanted to vote for a Republican, but I didn’t want another president willing to engage in perpetual wars. Clinton’s review of a book by Henry Kissinger as well as articles in The New York Times, Vox, and other publications illustrate she might be willing to continue Bush’s quagmires. In 2014, even I thought that Clinton’s nomination was an eventuality, therefore I searched for an alternative to a hawkish Democrat.
I always believed progressives should oppose Republicans on matters of war and national security, not simply claim a devastating Iraq vote was a “mistake.”

I’ve been a registered Democrat all my life (voting for Gore, Kerry, and Obama twice), but when President Obama was sending Americans back to Iraq in 2014, I searched desperately for an alternative to Clinton’s “neocon” foreign policy. I’m not a Facebook Liberal and when I’m on Ring of Fire correlating Dick Cheney to the chaos in the Middle East, I also know that Hillary Clinton could have offered a powerful voice of protest.


So please dispense with that accusation and meme please.

cprise

(8,445 posts)
19. Don't hear a peep from her about the 1998 "Iraq Liberation Act" either:
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 05:08 PM
Oct 2015


Clinton says Saddam Hussein is once again a threat to the world! This is less than a year after PNAC signed their paranoid manifesto calling for war, and the Clintons just swallow the neocon shit and regurgitate it to the public!

And yes, the poster is a winger using this to bash liberals. Does it bother you he can do this and have a "point" that Bush was .... "correct"?

Oh, but the poor, poor Clintons! Two right-wing factions in government turn into a melee and no one else can get a word in edge-wise... so let's be happy the Clintons handed BushCo a seal of approval on a false war.

Cleita

(75,480 posts)
15. Roman emperors would be proud of our foreign policy if they were around today.
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 01:09 PM
Oct 2015

I lived in South America part of the time through the decades of the 1940s and the 1950s and saw foreign policy up close even under liberal and moderate governments in Washington, D. C.. Back then we bribed with "foreign aid" the dictators who were friendly to us and allowed us to plunder their nations without restraint or remorse. Then when the Republicans came into power with Nixon we ratcheted it up to the true Roman model, of invade, plunder and colonize with our legions of military bases throughout the world. When in control we continued the practice of installing our usual friendly dictators and enablers in power with the backing of our military, which we now see happening in the Middle East and Africa.

Our foreign policy needs a total rehaul. We need to start with scraping the Monroe Doctrine which has shaped much of our present policy with something not "Roman".

cprise

(8,445 posts)
20. It is indeed an empire
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 07:11 PM
Oct 2015

What's most striking about it is how an empire with over 800 military bases on all populated continents reacts so hysterically to *any* projection of power by anyone else.

There is also a kind of Anglo-supremacy built into it. Within the NATO empire, the 'five eyes' US, Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand act as if spying on all their other allies is their prerogative. Its Anglo Uber Alles and knowledge is indeed power.

Cleita

(75,480 posts)
21. Probably borrowed from the British Empire. The irony is we fought a revolution to
Fri Oct 30, 2015, 08:02 PM
Oct 2015

rid ourselves of this.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»Bernie Sanders»On Foreign Policy, Bernie...