Commander in Chief – Role of a Citizen
The Constitution of the United State of America vests the power of Commander in Chief with the Executive – The President. This feels clear to this writer that the intent was for a citizen, elected by the people, to act as Commander of the military. There was purpose in this intent.
Here is a quote from Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution:
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United State, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; ….
The writers of the constitution understood that a ‘committee’ would be ineffective in managing the military – the obvious choice of command was a single person, a focal point, the President. But here is the caveat for this writer – the President is elected by the people with no qualifications about military experience or expertise. The President is a citizen, representing the citizen class, a champion of democracy and of the Constitution.
Indeed, one of the great enduring qualities of American government is the non-violent transition of power. The purpose of the military is singularly violent.
The brilliance of our founding fathers is again evident. History taught them that a professional standing army is dangerous to civil discourse. The intentional subordination of the military to an elected citizen was designed to protect our democracy from misuse of military power.
Former Generals have been elected President – and each of them has subordinated their role as General to that of citizen. Washington, Grant, and Eisenhower carefully constructed their Presidencies in the mold of the citizenry. Eisenhower went so far as to warn against the “military industrial complex.’
The Constitution has not changed – but the interpretation by politicians would suggest otherwise. John Kerry ran for President in 2004, highlighting his credentials as a veteran of a foreign war. John McCain exhausts his audiences with continuous references to his being a veteran POW. But these qualities were not defined by the Constitution either in language or intent. It is very clear that the writers of the Constitution intended a Commander in Chief with a Citizen perspective.
The founders of this great nation knew the dangers of a standing military They understood the need for a properly elected citizen to manage that military. They understood the issues as being one of using sound judgment in calling upon the military – the military was only to be used to promote or protect the Constitution and the citizen class.
The 21st Century has seen the military raised to the rank of first choice rather than last choice. Let us be clear – when we say the use of the military we are saying the use of violence. This is a tremendously important understanding. Violence should always be the absolute last resort, whether raising children, being a spouse, negotiating trade agreements, or promoting democracy.
The Citizen Commander in Chief shall use restraint first, rather than violence first.
Comment by Micheal on 23 September 2008:
It amazes me when I see a youtube like the one I saw yesterday of the young solider that lost his leg in Iraq, who I’m sure believes that this war stands for freedom for the united states and the Iraqi citizens. He also condones the spending of millions of dollars a day that supports this war to make a better country somewhere else when we have a war of poverty right here in our own country. Not even mentioning all that have died in this war defending a mans ego. Have we forgot about the former president bush and the problems he had with Sudan, or do we choose just to brush it under the rug? The first chance that the son got to revenge his daddy he went at it full force not caring about the death casualties of the united states citizens or the children who would be left parentless to obtain his goal. Every since he’s been in office he’s been tearing this country down. Why would we want to put anybody in office that resembles him? However, I find it hard to believe that the American people put him in office anyway. The powers to be did!These are the subjects we don’t hear anything about: The reason why Obama is having so many problems is because America hasn’t come as far as we would like to think she has. We are still a country build on racism. I heard a man criticize Bill Clinton for saying all Americans should have the privileged of owning a house, is this not true if you’re a hard worker in the US, shouldn’t something be put in place so you can obtain the American dream as well. The average hard worker cant afford to rent a house but we call that fair an balanced. I heard somebody say on your show that our militaries are on a voluntary basis yet the majority of those who are joining the military are trying to escape the poverty in which they grew up in, and once you’re in, there is no backing out. People having to fight two or three tours when they was blessed to walk out the first one. I agreed with being in a war of necessity to defend our country and the land where our children are growing up, “you know our American children“. These are the issues that we need to be addressing because we know the whole wall street thing is just another scandal because the rich is going to stay rich and the poor is already suffering. I have a daughter that was straight honor role through public school and maintains it in college, but struggling to buy her books because we’re low income and there’s nothing in place to offer her relief, other than using a high interest credit card yet we’re fighting for equality in another country. What about our own country where some is too rich and some is too poor , lets get America together. Personally I think Hillary should have been president or picked for the vice president seat but she wasn’t and she isn’t but that don’t change the fact we need change and who cares of all this garbage people are talking about who contributed to your campaign that’s just to side track the American people from the facts that count. You can check out our values on http://www.gbyministry.com.
Comment by James WIlson on 23 September 2008:
After the 9/11 attack the reactions of the Right Wing of the Government did not suprise me except when I saw FBI Agents protecting all the steel and loads of debri removed from the World Trade Center. Then the FBI protecting the steel all the way to the foundrys where they stayed till it was all melted down. This was high unusual since it is just steel and there was nothing they could be protecting the steel from. All I can figure out is they were preventing anyone from getting to close to see something or get a sample of the steel.
I still can’t buy the FIRE BALL in the bottom of the pit where the World Trade Center fell. Thermite is the only possible answer I can come up with and that means someone was setting bombs inside the World Trade Center.
Then months later I hearf the Janitor speak about his pull people out of the 2nd and 3rd basement levels of the World Trade Center 30 minuites before the first aircraft hit who had been injured by bombs that were going off in the basement off both World Trade Centers. People with their flesh just hainging off of arms and faces.
Why did no one every ask why the Ambulances were already at the World Trade Center before the airplanes ever hit. They were they to pick up people injured by bombs !
All the month before the attack the heads of the CIA and FBI were acting like silly school girls trying to get on the Bush Adminstrations good side and IGNORED their responsibility to keep this country safe. Or they are complicited in this attack along with the Isreali Secert Service Agents questioned by Police and had video cameras aimed at the World Trade Center 2 hours before the first airplane hit.
Sorry but my do have an education and I will not corrupt my mind with grabage no matter how well it is packaged.