JOINT RESOLUTION Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial Government of Japan and the Government and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.
Whereas the Imperial Government of Japan has committed unprovoked acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial Government of Japan; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.
Approved, December 8, 1941
That’s it. No nine pages, so section (z)1q, just a straightforward declaration of war against an enemy that has committed acts of war. So, what could Congress be hiding in the current documentation? Hmmmm….”defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq.” So, there is no state of war, nor has Iraq done anything except pose a “continuing threat”. What’s troublesome about this is that there are a number of extant “continuing threats” to the national security of the United States which have been officially declared by the Congress, something like 13, among them the fact that martial law was declared in Myanmar. By the reasoning presented here, the administration could launch an invasion of Burma tomorrow.
Did you happen to note anything about a termination, by the way? Although I must say, I’m not keen on the bit about “all the resources of the country” being pledged by the Congress either. But then, we already knew that war is the health of the state.