Former Secretaries of State James A. Baker III (1989 to 1992) and Warren Christopher (1993 to 1997), wearing their hats as the co-chairmen of the National War Powers Commission, authored an op-ed in the New York Times yesterday, arguing on behalf of the findings of their commission's recent report.
They write:
“The most agonizing decision we make as a nation is whether to go to war. Our Constitution ambiguously divides war powers between the president (who is the commander in chief) and Congress (which has the power of the purse and the power to declare war). The founders hoped that the executive and legislative branches would work together, but in practice the two branches don't always consult. And even when they do, they often dispute their respective powers.
A bipartisan group that we led, the National War Powers Commission, has unanimously concluded after a year of study that the law purporting to govern the decision to engage in war ‚ the 1973 War Powers Resolution ‚ should be replaced by a new law that would, except for emergencies, require the president and Congressional leaders to discuss the matter before going to war. Seventy years of polls show that most Americans expect Congress and the president to talk before making that decision, and in most cases, they have done so.”
After discussing the pluses of their proposed statute, they conclude: “When it comes to war, Americans deserve better than a law that is ineffective and ignored. They deserve a law that will encourage future presidents and Congresses to work together to protect our nation.”
Another former Secretary of State, Colin Powell spoke to a group of young people at the Center for International and Strategic Studies this week. He was the keynote speaker at the kickoff event of a new CSIS initiative called “Next America” aimed at getting young people engaged in international affairs in advance of the Presidential election and beyond. You can watch the entire event by clicking here.
His remarks touched on a variety of issues related to US foreign policy. In regards to the US role in international affairs, Powell said “The only three nations capable of confronting the US militarily are Russia, India and China, and all three want to have good relations with the US.”
The ongoing theme of his talk was wealth creation, and how it is going to be the driving force of the world for better or worse. He emphasized that it needs to be is used wisely in order to make the world a peaceful place.
In a lighter moment, in an attempt to reach out to his youthful audience, Powell admitted to “Google”-ing himself, to demonstrate that he too is part of the “digital” area.
Note to General Powell: since you will probably come across this post at some point in your searching, I apologize for calling out your self-Googling habit. Not to worry, we all have Googled ourselves at one time or another. The fact that you do too gives the rest of us a way to identify with you on a broader level. And it illustrated the point in your talk about the digital revolution well.
