We've witnessed for decades now that a sitting president can absolutely wage war without congress' approval, just as long as they don't actually say the words "the US is at war with [country]".

I'd be surprised that congress has never attempted to go after the blatant loophole of "what if I just don't call it a war" - but I can't remember the last time that Congress successfully enforced it's control over anything.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Indeed.

I think what frustrates me most is that, even in the knowledge that Congress would authorize this war (and they absolutely would), they're still too lazy to even have a token vote on it.

That we're getting fucking reservists killed for this, and they won't even vote on it, just feels insulting to the people who expected to be training on weekends instead of getting bombed in a desert.