Perpetual War

A video about the atrocities of Ugandan leader of the Lord's Resistance Army Joseph Kony went viral several months ago, bringing attention to what is rightfully recognized as horrific actions in the abduction of children for sex trafficking and to force them into being soldiers. Prior to the release of the viral video "Kony 2012", President Obama authorized placing United States troops in harm's way on the ground in Uganda to assist regional forces opposed to the LRA. That was October of 2011. As with much of what President Obama does, this is a war being conducted without Congressional authorization. Say what you will about Iraq and Afghanistan, at least President Bush went to Congress for authorization to act (with the approval of then Senator Hillary Clinton (D, Wherever the hell she lives). I'm betting you didn't know we were conducting a small war in Uganda.

I'm also betting you didn't know we are conducting one in Yemen, too. President Obama has authorized the use of drone strikes against targets even when the identity of the target is not known. President Obama's authority to conduct these strikes is also in question, not that he exactly acknowledges Congressional authority anyway. The question isn't whether or not Al Qaeda in Yemen is actively a threat to the United States. They clearly are. The question isn't whether or not the Yemeni government has an issue with the strikes, they don't. The issue is why are we going to war without declaring war or at least having Congressional authorization of the action to legitimize the actions? How are Uganda and Yemen different from the illegal operations in Laos during the Vietnam war? I wonder how the Nobel committee feels about that Peace Prize they gave President I'm Not George Bush Obama. Don't get me wrong, Republicans and Democrats alike have behaved in this manner. They were and are both wrong to do so.