One of the reasons that the Department of Defense is called that is because the U.S. Constitution contains the words “provide for the common defense” versus funding offensive wars. Formally renaming the Department of Defense would also require Congressional action.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, and wars have been historically declared by Congress for that reason, before some Congressional members recently abandoned their responsibilities.
It is interesting, then, that New Hampshire-born Senator John W. Weeks of Massachusetts actually led the Department of War as the Secretary of War, who was responsible for downsizing the military after World War I.
Weeks, and his 1911 Weeks Act, is why New Hampshire has the White Mountain National Forest. As an aside, Weeks also had a hand in creating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which protects birds such as Barn Swallows.
What many may not realize is that wars used to be funded by our government’s sale of war bonds. Even World War I soldiers were somewhat forced to buy war bonds. This is according to the 1935 book, “War is a Racket,” written by two-time Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps General Smedley Butler. To quote: “Most soldiers got no money at all on pay days. We made them buy Liberty Bonds at $100 and then we bought them back — when they came back from the war and couldn’t find work — at $84 and $86. And the soldiers bought about $2,000,000,000 worth of these bonds!”
During World War II, war bonds were also sold. War bonds later transitioned to Series EE bonds, beginning in 1980.
So who should be paying for the current war of choice that the current Congress did not authorize? According to Forbes, the U.S. has 989 billionaires. Perhaps if billionaires are going to choose our politicians for us, they can pay for the wars that their politicians start, and compensate the families of our lost service members. In the 2007 movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,” the wealthy appeared to have no issue passing the hat to buy equipment needed for the U.S. response to the Soviet-Afghan War.
Sadly, even wars funded by the wealthy put the lives of American service members at risk, and they aren’t sending their own children to fight.
So perhaps the 989 U.S. billionaires can ante up and provide the additional billions that U.S. taxpayers are now being asked to pay, especially if this war is to further enrich themselves. They should also strongly encourage any of their children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren to enlist in the military to fight their wars.
Don Cavallaro worked for over 41 years for the Department of the Navy at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. He lives in Rye.