I need to speak out against how our military is being used.

Twice now, first bombing a government facility in Iran, and now abducting the president of Venezuela, we have unconstitutionally committed acts of War on other nations without congressional authorization. These missions were very successful; objectives achieved, few casualties, no immediate fallout. These successes feed a powerful narrative: Americans are strong, Americans get the bad guys, Americans are heroes.  

That narrative is dangerous.

This story of national strength and military success historically leads to overreach and disaster. It is a key part of what led America into Iraq in 2002, and I fear we are becoming similarly entangled in Venezuela today. Successful military operations are popular; it is natural to enjoy feeling strong and righteous. That popularity leads to more military operations, and each one is another chance that something goes very wrong. I worry about the recent spike in military actions (Syria, Nigeria, and Venezuela all in the last month). I worry more about President Trump’s statements about being “locked and loaded” to protect Iranian protesters or that we “need” Greenland “for defense.” What war are we going to start by misjudging our opponent, or by encouraging another nation such as Russia or China to follow our aggressive example?  Once that war is started, what are we willing to suffer to get to the end of it? 

Strangely, that narrative of American strength and righteousness is also a disservice to our troops. Let me be clear: I am proud of how well they have executed these difficult missions, and of their choice to serve at all. I praise their service while being horrified by the misguided orders we have given them. Citizens who volunteer to serve set aside their own safety, sometimes not coming home, or returning injured or disjointed from their prior lives. They also set aside their own judgement of right and wrong: when ordered to pull the trigger and kill, they do. They are ready to serve and to sacrifice, blood and soul. 

A profound respect for that demands that we be very conservative in what we ask our military to do. It is wrong to ask them to kill and be killed in order that America may be strong, powerful, or get bad guys. Our military exists to keep us safe from existential threats, not minor ones. The goal of a military mission can’t just be popular (see VP Vance’s comments about delaying the mission in the Signal chat about Yemen) or serve American interests. To be worthy of military action, a mission needs to be necessary for American safety. These operations in Iran and Venezuela simply weren’t: Iran was recently defeated in an air war, and more American drug deaths are connected to American pharmaceutical companies than Venezuelan cartels. We are not being responsible with our troops’ service.

It is extremely urgent to ask Sens. Peters and Slotkin, and Rep. Bergman, to advance bills like the S.3344 bill to restrict military actions in Venezuela (too late?), or Greenland, or bills that repeal some of the authorizations in the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force. Sending America into war is a responsibility that must remain with congress. I recognize that some current operations may have their hands tied by such legislation, but the harms of that are less than those of letting our current leadership pursue their dangerous narrative for our newly named Department of War.