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This is not a defense of Maduro - he's a bad dude and dictator. This is a defense of the Constitution. The reason that the Constitution says Congress must declare war is that kings had a tendency to start a war and then demand that their people support it. Frankly, since Maduro was indicted by a US court in 2020, getting the Republican congress to authorize military action should have been an easy lift.
However, Trump did not go to Congress - he went it alone. Moreover, the precedent Trump is citing - Operation Just Cause, does not apply, for two reasons. First, the Panamanian Congress declared war on the US. Second, they then shot and killed an unarmed US servicemember heading off-base to dinner. Neither of these provocations occurred here - we did all the provoking.
I don't expect the current Congress to do anything about this - they make the Russian Duma look like a paragon of independence. However, when Democrats regain control, impeachment must happen. If that fails, steps such as defunding the Department of Defense must be taken. Sorry - didn't sign up to live in a dictatorship.
However, Trump did not go to Congress - he went it alone. Moreover, the precedent Trump is citing - Operation Just Cause, does not apply, for two reasons. First, the Panamanian Congress declared war on the US. Second, they then shot and killed an unarmed US servicemember heading off-base to dinner. Neither of these provocations occurred here - we did all the provoking.
I don't expect the current Congress to do anything about this - they make the Russian Duma look like a paragon of independence. However, when Democrats regain control, impeachment must happen. If that fails, steps such as defunding the Department of Defense must be taken. Sorry - didn't sign up to live in a dictatorship.
