CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATIONS
You Break It — You Own It
by
M.E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution”
Miss Constitution has been listening carefully in the last few days as commentators and public officials eviscerate the President over his decision to pull a few American troops out of harm’s way along the Turkey/Syria border. Abandonment of an ally!!
By some miracle, persons who cannot name our five Founding documents are suddenly experts regarding the former Ottoman Empire. From the early 16th century to 1924, sultans have ruled as caliphs of Islam over a large and difficult region between Asia and Europe. Tribal and ethnic difficulties have gone on for centuries, but a rich culture developed including large Christian and Jewish communities. Muslims were proud of their empire. When it all began to unravel is still being discussed but by the early part of the 20th century and the calamity of World War I the colonial powers of Britain, France, and Russia had their sites on portions of its territory. America did not.
Miss Constitution is assuming that the opinion-makers that Miss Constitution has been listening to are familiar with the decisions of Lloyd George, of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the rise of Arab indignation of Britain’s support for Zionism. She is assuming that all are familiar with the roles of Kaiser Wilhelm II, of Kitchener, of Sazanov, of King Constantine of Greece, and of Mustafa Kemal. Whole populations were dispersed and displaced. Turkey managed to create a republic and ended the caliphate in 1924. In Paris after the war, Woodrow Wilson was approached about creating an American mandate in the Middle East as America was considered a neutral player. Wilson did not want to get involved but finally agreed. His subsequent stroke and invalidity plus the Senate’s refusal to ratify the peace treaty ended that idea.
The point is that European colonial powers ran into a buzz saw when they stretched too far in the 20th century. America has run into a buzz saw as she stretches too far in the 21st century. Has no one read history? Did 9/11 lure us into unwise decisions in this volatile region?
Miss Constitution is not pretending that she has the answer to these intractable issues. What Miss Constitution is saying is that before you help depose the Shah of Iran; before you invade Iraq and hang Saddam Hussein; before you rid the world of Khaddaffi in Libya; before you occupy and re-build Afghanistan; before you set up a mission in Benghazi that was not protected; before you engage in regime change in Syria; before you send piles of cash to the Mullahs of Iran; before you sign a Treaty that binds the United States that would allow a nuclear Iran in ten years without the consent of the Senate; before you sell enriched uranium to Russia; before you hope fifty or so American soldiers can stand in the way of Turkey creating a buffer zone against their long-time foe; you had better know what you are doing. You had better know the difference between the Shia and the Sunni. You break it — you own it.
The President of the United States, whether that be Jimmy Carter, or George W. Bush, or Barrack Obama, or Donald J. Trump, all have primary responsibility for foreign policy decisions of the nation. Congress declares war but the strategic decisions regarding war or other ventures outside the boundaries of our country are primarily those of the President under Article II of the United States Constitution. We hope that they surround themselves with extremely knowledgeable people. Career foreign service officers and diplomats should know this history and be able to guide the President wisely. We have seen that they often do not. Even Winston Churchill got it wrong in Gallipoli.
The current President’s view is that we should not be where we do not belong for interminable periods of time but should be ready to respond as needed from peripheral locations. Allies, as George Washington tells us are always temporary, as we may be allies on one point and enemies on another. The President may be wrong in this decision about the Kurds but Miss Constitution notices that some of the most adamant commentary comes from persons who guided other administrations into disastrous positions. We might always want to ask about political motives in people’s commentary and what businesses and other entities stand to gain by constant, expensive, and continuous conflict. It is also important to respect the Office of the Presidency and its functions. Dissent, with respect, is important if it helps shape better outcomes. On this one Miss Constitution would first have to hit the books before she ventures an opinion.
The five Founding documents are: The Mayflower Compact; The Declaration of Independence; the Articles of Confederation; the Northwest Ordinance; and the United States Constitution. Miss Constitution knows you knew it!
Copyright©2019 M.E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution”
MissConstitution.com
