• scarabic@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Setting aside my Trump hate for a moment: this is a good thing. “Department of Defense” was always a euphemism. “Defense spending” my ass. Let’s call it what it is and then see if Americans feel as good about spending so much on a “Department of War” versus “Defense.”

    • GreenShimada@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      There’s a reason why after WWII the Department of War was renamed Department of Defense.

      We weren’t at war. We’re not currently at war, either. Chester’s gotta ask Congress to rubber-stamp a war first.

      • scarabic@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        That’s some very antiquated and naive logic. NONE of these conflicts involved a formal declaration of war:

        Korean War

        Vietnam War

        Persian Gulf

        Afghanistan

        Iraq War

        So you’re going to tell me we weren’t at war for any of those? Bullshit. There’s been plenty of work for a Department of War in the US since WW2.

        • GreenShimada@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I mean that after WWII, the public sentiment was “We’re done with war. Whew!” That’s exactly why officially declaring war and using the war powers workaround was used in ever example you gave.

          It was the Department of War for 150 years before 1947 when Truman changed the name.