October 13, 2002
Patrick Leahy: Points for Talking to the Brainwashed
Senator Patrick Leahy is one of the heroic few legislators with the guts to stand against the Bush war hysteria.In a well-reasoned speech on the Senate floor, Leahy laid down his objections to Bush's "plan to send Americans into battle to overthrow Saddam Hussein." The speech is posted on Leahy's website and it is worth looking at in its entirety to clarify the precise reasons giving Bush authority to use force in the Middle East without international cooperation was such a disastrous and irresponsible move. (See leahy.senate.gov.}
It is also a pleasure to read because it is a passionate and eloquent plea for a return to the constitutional principles on which the U.S. is built, and from which it is now rapidly retreating. And it provides a good reference for talking to people whose minds are addled by constant battering by the propaganda system of the corporate media. When in conversation you hear the repetition of phrases like "weapons of mass destruction" you know you are not really connected to the the person's own mind, but to an internalized recording/playback mechanism. To crash through that defense system takes some rigorous and persistent logic. Leahy's speech, like Senator Byrd's recent speeches, provide the essential rationale for resistance to Bush's mad undertaking.
Attempts to characterize questions about the war as unpatriotic are misguided, Leahy said, "We fought a revolution to have such debates...
"Declaring war is the single most important responsibility given to Congress," Leahy said. "Unfortunately, at times like this, it is a responsibility Congress has often shirked. Too often, Congress has abdicated its responsibility and deferred to the executive branch on such matters. It should not. It should pause and read the Constitution...
"I know following the Constitution is not always politically expedient or popular. The Constitution was not designed to be politically expedient, but following the Constitution is the right course to take. It is what we are sworn to do...
"Article I of the Constitution gives the Congress the sole power to declare war. But instead of exercising this responsibility and voting up or down on a declaration of war, what have we done? We have chosen to delegate this authority and this burden to the executive branch...
"This resolution, when you get through the pages of whereas clauses, is nothing more than a blank check. The President can decide when to use military force, how to use it, and for how long. This Vermonter does not sign blank checks."
Leahy said he supports Powell's attempts to negotiate a new, tougher U.N. resolution for weapons inspections, backed up by force if necessary. He said, however, it is premature to authorize Bush to use force without backing by the U.N. Diplomacy is tedious and difficult, he said, but "if we have learned anything from history, it is that wars are unpredictable. They can trigger consequences that none of us would intend or expect. Is it fair to the American people, who have become accustomed to wars waged from 30,000 feet lasting a few weeks with few casualties, that we not discuss what else could happen? We could be involved in urban warfare where large numbers of our troops are killed...
"I can count the votes. The Senate will pass this resolution. They will give the President the authority he needs to send United States troops to Iraq. But before the President takes that step, I hope he will consider the questions that have been asked. I hope he considers the concerns raised by former generals, senior diplomats, and intelligence officials in testimony before Congress. I hope he listens to concerns raised privately by some of our military officers. Above all, I hope he will listen to the American people who are urging him to proceed cautiously and not to act alone."
-- By David Cogswell