H. W. Brands Quotes

The sustaining populace, on whose behalf wars are prosecuted, must be sufficiently convinced that its cause is just, that its wars are winnable and that the costs are not disproportionate.

Americans will stomach long wars only when the nation’s survival is clearly at stake.

There stands no contradiction between giving voice to legitimate anxiety and at the same time, as and when exchange of fire commences, looking to the rest of the country, as well as all of us in the House, to give full moral support to our forces.

Again, in Wag the Dog, war has to be declared by an act of congress. But if you go to war, you don't have to declare war. You're just at war and we did that, which is not legal.

The War Powers Act requires presidents to seek the consent of the American people, through their representatives, before sending our troops into war. It is the responsibility of Congress to deliberate and consult with the executive branch before involving ourselves in a military conflict.

Forty-five percent of Iraqi citizens think it is morally okay to attack American troops.

President Bush has said that he does not need approval from the UN to wage war, and I'm thinking, well, hell, he didn't need the approval of the American voters to become president, either.

The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is the role of Congress to debate and authorize this before the President acts precipitously.

We have long since made clear that a state of war is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the Nation’s citizens.

The respective powers of the President and Congress of the United States, in the case of war with foreign powers are yet undetermined. Perhaps they can never be defined.

Why are American boys dying in a war the President refuses to call a war, yet commits our forces to it?

[In wartime] there is almost always an overstretch [for power] by the President.

To be a great president you have to have a war. All the great presidents had their wars.

The [Mexican] war was unnecessarily and unconstitutionally commenced by the President.

It’s very easy to advocate going to war if you’re not one of the people who is going.

For better or worse the country has no alternative other than trust the President when we are at war.

With 450,000 U.S. troops now in Vietnam, it is time that Congress decided whether or not to declare a state of war exists with North Vietnam

Gentlemen of the Congress of the United States who put us into this war, it is your duty now to give us sufficient means of making war. If the folks at home did not want you to go to war, it was your duty to think of that before you declared war. It is in no way right or reasonable or wise or patriotic for you to project the Nation into war, and then in unfounded fear for your own future, deny the Nation the method best qualified and calculated to make victorious war.

We in America should see that no man is ever given, no matter how gradually or how noble and excellent the man, the power to put this country into a war

Members of Congress are somewhat reluctant to tangle with a president who seems to have the backing of the American people.

That's one of the major lessons: no president should ever take this nation to war without full public debate in the Congress and/or in the public.

Not every Congressionally declared war will be remembered as a “good war”, but few if any Presidentially declared wars, if any, will ever be.

Giving Obama credit for killing Bin Laden is Ike giving Harry Truman credit for dropping the [atomic] bomb: any president would’ve pushed that button.

Americans’ manner of viewing foreign adversaries today is rooted in the history of their country’s past relations with the outside world. Their attitudes have been shaped especially by the most costly and all-consuming episodes in that history, in particular the wars—hot and cold—of the 20th century.

… war by its nature entails terrible injustice to many individuals and that acceptance of that injustice as the lesser evil is implicit in any decision to send the military into combat.