OMNI
PRESIDENTIAL POWER NEWSLETTER #5
February 17, 2020
Presidents’
Day, 3rd Monday in February
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY FEB. 22.
Compiled
by Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace, Justice, and Ecology.
http://omnicenter.org/donate/
1757 BLOG POSTS PUBLISHED by 2-4-20
What’s at Stake: #4 continued
to trace trends and instants in the post-WW II increase of US consolidation of
economic and political power. For
example, in 2013 in economic (in)justice the increasingly right-wing
Republicans (labeled the Tea Party) passed a farm bill that would cut $40
billion from the federal food stamp program, and they schemed to defund
Obamacare (ACA) by threatening a government shutdown. These newsletters show that President Trump
is both symptom and cause of the long-hardening, bipartisan centralization of
authority, though he has accelerated the development.
J. M.
Coetzee’s novel Waiting for the
Barbarians seems to be an indictment of the apartheid regime in South
Africa, but it could depict the Roman Empire, or the 16th-century
Spanish conquests, or the US near-decimation of the Native Americans in the 18th
and 19th centuries, or 20th-century US global military expansion. The colonial conquerors had one aim: how to expand, how to prolong their
domination as exhibited in their traits: military power, silence of intellectual elite,
turning subjects into barbarian Others to be tortured. Our present rulers are no less avid for
global control, at one time engaged in eight wars, including our country’s
longest.
What’s Most
at Stake: Avoiding the Convergence of Wars and Warming
“Sarah
Lazare. “The Planet’s on Fire. War Adds Fuel.” In
These Times (March 2020). “This
brutal global order predicated on violent domination….ensures that crises of
climate and war are interlinked.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS, PRESIDENTIAL POWER NEWSLETTER #5, TRUMP ERA
US HISTORY: CONSOLIDATING EXECUTIVE POWER,
REDUCING POWER BALANCE
Sarah Lazare, War and Warming
NSS National Security State
Rudalevige, The New Imperial Presidency…After Watergate
OMNI
NSS Newsletter
Surveillance
Glenn Greenwald, No Place to Hide (and
public’s fear)
Totalitarian Danger
Ken Burns, Trump “Hitleresque”
War
Phyllis Bennis, War in Syria Illegal
Truthdig, Obama’s Bombs
RESISTANCE
Stephen Miles, Win Without War: Trump’s Secret War Memo
Separation of Powers
Daly, “House Reasserts War Powers Authority”
VFP
Supports HR922
Robert
Greenwald, Brave New Films: Defeat Trump
TEXTS: CONSOLIDATING POWER
SOURCES OF AUTHORITARIAN
PRESIDENCY
US NATIONAL SECURITY STATE
Possibly most of my
newsletters could be subsumed under this rubric; for example: arms trade, CIA, empire,
fascism. fear, fear-mongering, imperialism, imperial presidency, Military
Industrial Complex, National Security Agency, Pentagon, secrecy,
surveillance, totalitarianism, war,
war-makers.
NSS
Andrew Rudalevige. The New Imperial Presidency: Renewing
Presidential Power after Watergate. U
of Michigan, 2005. Mullins Main Library,
JK511 .R83
Has
the imperial presidency returned? This question has been on the minds of many
contemporary political observers, as recent American administrations has aimed
to consolidate power.
Description
In
The New Imperial Presidency, Andrew
Rudalevige suggests that the congressional
framework meant to advise and constrain presidential conduct since Watergate
has slowly eroded. Rudalevige describes the evolution of executive power in
our separated system of governance. He discusses the abuse of power that
prompted what he calls the "resurgence regime" against the imperial
presidency and inquires as to how and why—over the three decades that followed
Watergate—presidents have regained their standing.
Chief
executives have always sought to interpret constitutional powers broadly. The
ambitious president can choose from an array of strategies for pushing against
congressional authority; finding scant resistance, he will attempt to expand
executive control. Rudalevige's important and timely work reminds us that the freedoms secured by our system of checks and
balances do not proceed automatically but depend on the exertions of public
servants and the citizens they serve. His story confirms the importance of
the "living Constitution," a tradition of historical experiences
overlaying the text of the Constitution itself.
Praise
/ Awards
"Well
written and, while indispensable for college courses, should appeal beyond
academic audiences to anyone interested in how well we govern ourselves....I
cannot help regarding it as a grand sequel for my own The Imperial Presidency."
—Arthur
Schlesinger, Jr.
"Readable
and extremely pertinent, The New Imperial
Presidency combines masterful history and trenchant analysis of the push
and pull for power between Presidents and Congresses—and the key role played by
each institution's will for power and responsibility. In the story of this
distinctly American political drama, Professor Rudalevige gives us a timely
primer for making sense of today's Washington scene." —former Congressman David Skaggs, executive
director, Center for Democracy & Citizenship, Washington, D.C.
"Rudalevige
is an authoritative guide to the resurgence of presidential power since its
decline in the post-Watergate years, and to the corresponding eclipse of the
Congress. Charting a trend that has reached "tidal wave" proportions
in the George W. Bush presidency, Rudalevige gives a convincing account both of
the extravagance of current executive claims and the dangers of congressional
inertia and public passivity." —David
E. Price, U.S. Representative (D.-N.C.)
"The
George W. Bush years provide a timely backdrop for this richly documented
analysis of presidential assertiveness since Watergate." —Fred Greenstein, Princeton University
"Rudalevige
sounds a wake-up call, urging us to recall and rededicate ourselves to the
fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances, separation of
powers, representative government, and what it takes to keep a republic. Other
branches, and the public, need to check the high-flying presidency. Powerfully
argued and written." —Louis
Fisher, author of Presidential War Power
"Andrew
Rudalevige deals with central issues of presidential power and congressional
irresponsibility. He makes a persuasive argument about the dangers of
unfettered presidential power, but also takes Congress to task for failure to
enforce its own prerogatives or use the framework laws it has previously
enacted. His examples are compelling—even devastating. His is a voice of
reasoned argumentation, and his scholarship provides a major theoretical
contribution to presidential studies." —Richard Pious, Adolph and Effie Ochs
Professor, Barnard College
"This
book should help awaken both the electorate and its leaders to the urgency of a
subject long at the heart of constitutional government. Gracefully written,
sparkling with vivid quotations and insightful analysis, The New Imperial Presidency will reward both specialists and
students. Yet most crucially, it is a book for citizens who seek to understand
and control the politics that, in spite of all, they continue to
authorize." —Russell Muirhead,
Political Science Quarterly
Named
a Choice Outstanding Academic Title
Table
of Contents
Chapter
1: "Freedom Fries" & Presidential Power
Chapter
2: The "Foetus of Monarchy" Grows Up
Chapter
3: The "Old" Imperial Presidency
Chapter
4: The World after Watergate: The Resurgence Regime Takes Shape
Chapter
5: The Resurgence Recedes, Part I: Money & Morals
Chapter
6: The Resurgence Recedes, Part II: Peace & War
Chapter
7: Tidal Wave: The World after September 11
Chapter
8: "Practical Advantages & Grave Dangers": Imperial Presidency or
Invisible Congress?
Notes
OMNI
NATIONAL SECURITY STATE NEWSLETTERS
#1,
March 22, 2013
#2, June
9, 2013
#3, July 23,
2015
GLENN GREENWALD’S NO PLACE TO HIDE (2014), on Snowden, is replete with examples
of excessive presidential power fueled by public fear (fueled by official fear-mongering):
“the post-9-11 veneration of security above all else has created a climate
particularly conducive to abuses of power” (p. 2). –Dick.
And read Edward Snowden, Permanent Record (2019).
TRUMP
Sunday
February 16, 2020 · 6:27 PM
CST
“...He (Trump) represents the greatest threat
to American democracy since the Second World War. He is so fundamentally
un-American...” — Ken Burns on Donald Trump, 2016 Variety
Interview
The above quote is by award-winning
filmmaker and documentarian Ken Burns. Millions have enjoyed his
many acclaimed films on PBS.
Some of those documentaries include The Civil War, The
Central Park Five, The Roosevelts, The Vietnam War. . . To date, Burns, 66, has made over
30 historical films/documentaries.
In a Variety interview
in 2016, Ken Burns discussed a work-in-progress called, “Defying the
Nazis.” During the discussion, Burns was asked by Variety writer Brett
Lang why he had become so outspoken about Donald Trump, who had not
yet been elected president. Here are some excerpts from that interview
with foreboding accuracy by Burns as to what would
happen if Trump took office.
I refer you to Michiko Kakutani’s review of the Hitler biography. . . in which she didn’t mention the contemporary
situation, she just put the bullet points of Hitler’s rise and every single one
of them was exactly what Trump has done.
MORE
US Wars
Steve Bannon
The real danger posed by Steve Bannon,
is his plan to further expand the power of the executive branch.
Phyllis
Bennis. “Illegal Attack on Syria.” The
Nation (May 14, 2018. “Only Congress, not the president, can declare war.”
Trump’s Military Drops a Bomb Every 12 Minutes, and No One
Is Talking About It
Why
Did the US Drop 26,171 Bombs on the World Last Year?
Our
endless wars have destroyed nations and warped our own political culture.
https://www.thenation.com/article/why-did-the-us-dropped-26171-bombs-on-the-world-last-year/
Obama dropped his 20,000 bombs
Outgoing US leader carries
out 3,000 more strikes in 2016 than year before
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-president-barack-obama-bomb-map-drone-wars-strikes-20000-pakistan-middle-east-afghanistan-a7534851.html
America dropped 26,171 bombs in 2016. What a bloody end to Obama's
reign
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/09/america-dropped-26171-bombs-2016-obama-legacy
RESISTANCE
Trump’s
Secret War Memo
2-22-18
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8:22 PM (18 hours ago)
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Dick
News just broke that Donald Trump has a secret memo that claims
he can start a war whenever, wherever he wants. [1]
Even during his most outrageous power grabs, George W. Bush
never tried a stunt like this. The Constitution is crystal clear that unless
the United States is about to be attacked, only Congress can declare war. But
Trump’s secret memo throws the Constitution out the window. And the awful truth
is, if Trump uses this sham memo to start a war against North Korea or anywhere
else, Congress might not have the backbone to stand in his way.
So Win Without War is using every tool in our toolkit to stiffen
Congress’s spines and force them to take back their Constitutional authority to
declare war. But Trump’s secret war memo just upended our timeline. If
we’re going to get Congress to intervene in time, we’re going to need your
help.
Starting a war is supposed to be hard. That’s why the Constitution
gives that power to Congress. America’s founders didn’t want one person — even
the President — to be able to put countless lives at stake for their own petty
reasons. Previous Presidents have stretched that constraint, with disastrous
consequences. Now, Donald Trump is trampling it completely.
Dick, we can’t let Trump drag us into war with North Korea the
way Bush sucked us into a sixteen-year war in the Middle East.
Congress has proved they won’t intervene in the war machine
unless we make them. So that’s just what we intend to do. From
behind-the-scenes meetings in Washington to lighting up the Capitol phone
lines, Win Without War is prepared to ramp up the pressure on Congress until we
force them to step in. But we need your help.
Thank you for working for peace,
Stephen, Michelle, Kate, and the team at Win Without War
[1] Daily Beast: What’s Inside Trump’s Secret War
Powers Memo?
CONGRESS, SEPARATION OF POWER
https://apnews.com/1e4f52695826064e6712a181b92ea978
“House Reasserts War Powers Authority.” Repeal of 2002 Authorization, funding limits
on actions against Iran Pass.”
House backs measures asserting congressional war powers
By MATTHEW DALY. NADG (1-32-20).
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Refocusing a debate on war and peace in the midst of the Senate
impeachment trial, the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday approved
measures reasserting congressional authority over war powers.
In
separate votes, the House passed a proposal to repeal the 2002 congressional
authorization for the war in Iraq as well as a plan to prevent tax dollars from
being used to take military action against Iran without congressional approval.
Repeal of the 2002 authorization was approved by a 236-166 vote, while the
funding measure on Iran passed 228-175.
The
actions follow a Jan. 9 vote by the House asserting that President Donald Trump
must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action
against Iran.
Democrats
said the three measures, taken together, would reassert Congress’s
constitutional authority in questions of war and peace and sending American
forces into harm’s way.
“For
far too long, Congress has been missing in action on matters of war and peace,”
said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, who sponsored the measure repealing 2002 war authorization.
She
called the repeal vote long overdue. “It is time to end giving blank checks to
any president to wage endless wars,″ she said.
Noting
that presidents from both parties have used the “outdated” 2002 resolution to
justify military action in the Middle East, Lee said leaving the resolution in
place “is not only dangerous but irresponsible.”
Republicans
said Lee and fellow Democrats were the ones acting irresponsibly.
“After
President Trump took decisive action to take out a brutal Iranian terrorist
responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans, Democrats now seek to
restrain our president and restrict his ability to protect our nation,″ said
Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican.
The
bills sponsored by Lee and Rep. Ro
Khanna, D-Calif., “severely restrict the president’s authority to protect
Americans from terrorist threats and fight ISIS,″ Scalise said, referring to
the Islamic State terrorist group.
The
House bills are unlikely to move forward in the Republican-controlled Senate,
and they face veto threats from the White House.
The
White House said repeal of the 2002 war authorization would undermine the
president’s ability to defend U.S. forces and interests in the region against
threats from Iran and Iranian-sponsored proxies. The White House also said it
would “embolden our enemies with the recognizable goal of outlasting us.″
According
to the White House, the spending measure in Iran would hinder Trump’s ability
to protect U.S. diplomats, forces and interests in the region from the threat
posed by Iran and its proxies.
Khanna
said his measure would not prevent the president from acting to defend U.S.
interests, but says Congress must authorize spending U.S. resources on any
military action.
“It’s
high time Congress reasserted our power of the purse and made clear to any
president that they must come to us first before taking any offensive military
action. War should always be a last resort,” he said.
The
House approved a nonbinding resolution Jan. 9 asserting that Trump must seek
approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran.
The vote followed a Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general
in Iraq.
House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi,
in announcing the House vote, called the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani
“provocative and disproportionate.″
Democrats
and several Republicans called Trump administration briefings on the attack
inadequate, adding that officials did not provide enough details about why the
attack was justified.
The
Senate has not acted on proposal by Democratic
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia asserting that Trump must seek approval from
Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. Kaine said
earlier this month that he has at least 51 votes to support the bipartisan
resolution.
Eleven
Republicans joined with Democrats to support the House repeal measure, while
four Republicans backed the bill on Iran spending. Two Democrats opposed
repeal, while three Democrats opposed limits on Iran funding.
Three
Republicans joined Democrats to support both measures: Reps. Warren Davidson of
Ohio, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Rep.
Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania was the lone Democrat to oppose both measures.
[The
Republican and the Democratic Parties have long constituted the US War Party,
but this report dramatizes the contrast between the greater present of peace
makers in the Democrats and the emphatic Republican war makers. –D]
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VFP
E-NEWS
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SEPARATION
OF POWERS, CONGRESS AND WAR POWER, HR 922
Representatives Walter
Jones (NC-3) and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2) introduced legislation
requiring that, if a president initiates or continues any war that does not
have a congressional declaration, that action is an impeachable offense.
VFP members Matthew Hoh
and Mike Marceau helped introduce this legislation, July 18th. Congress must
take up its Constitutional responsibility for deciding when to take the
American people into war and when to continue working for greater-peace
alternatives.
The legislation would
stipulate that when a president initiates any war without a prior congressional
declaration, that action will constitute an impeachable offense and cause the
House to send to the Senate for trial one or more articles of impeachment. The
legislation states that this includes wars against governments or
"non-state actors," and applies whether the president is initiating a
new war or joining an existing war with other parties.
Be sure to check out this
great coverage from Stars and Stripes, Lawmakers: Presidents who
bypass Congress on war powers should face impeachment
Ways to Take Action
· Call Congress to advocate
support for H. Res. 922
· Send Letters to the Editor
raising awareness about the bill
Read the Bill and the
full Press Release
VIDEO: This President’s Day, Make Sure We Get
A New One!
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2-14-20
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8:01 AM (3
hours ago)
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Table of Contents, Power of Presidency Newsletter #4
https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2020/02/omni-presidential-power-newletter.html
Fulbright,
The Crippled Giant. The rise of presidential and fall of
congressional power.
Brandon
Prins, Treaty Power: Theodore Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Congress
Brands
on Woodrow Wilson in WWI
Dick
Cheney, Afghan and Iraqi Wars and Expanded Unitary Executive
From
Truman to Obama: Andrew Bacevich, America’s Path to Permanent War (see his
The New American Militarism)
From
1940s to the 21st Century and George W. Bush: Gary Wills, Bomb Power
State
Secret Privilege and Unchecked Pres. Power:
Louis Fisher, In the Name of National Security
National
Security and the President’s Secret Government: Fred Branfman, The U.S. Indo-China War and Rise of
Presidential Power.
Jonathan
Stevenson, Presidential and Pentagon Power Struggle During Afghan and Iraq Wars
Obama,
Presidency, and Drones: Lloyd Gardner, Killing Machine
Feeble
Resistance: Congress vs. Obama and Black Budget 2014
US
House Votes to Restore Its War Powers, special thanks to Rep. Lee 2020
END PRESIDENTIAL POWER NEWSLETTER #5
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