[dumb-saint]

Oh, I think you misunderstood me. I don't blame the people who enlist at all. I also point my finger at the profit-makers.

When I say "you guys" I mean "Americans". All of you.

PS: What a weird thing to down vote this post -- it simply clarifies my initial message.

[james-watson]

Ah yes, because average Americans control US geopolitical strategy.

[dumb-saint]

So you gave up on democracy?

[holyOrIonsBelt]

First: The U.S. is a republic.

Second: Your idealism is compelling, yet you overstate the facilities available to the common citizen.

Third: Pointing the finger at 'Americans' and saying 'Why don't you quit fighting so much?' only serves to feed the narrative that Americans are war-hungry.

Case in point: there is not a single military battle being fought on American soil. We, the 'war hungry' Americans, only commit to actionable defense of foreign states whose sovereignty is threatened by whatever forces are objectively creating a threat. We do so because we stand on the principle that it is better to stand up for the weak than it is to kowtow to dictators or totalitarian states. Now, we do this in a manner that is selective because geopolitics isn't a black and white decision matrix, and we have to pick battles that that we not only think we can win, but that won't serve to exacerbate the problems of totalitarianism and despotic rule.

[sjg007]

It is the President who declares war... one guy for better or worse.

[sigzero]

No, in the United States, Congress declares war (a bunch of guys).

[lawpoop]

Since the War Powers Act, it's basically been the president who makes war. Congressional declarations are a formality. Many of the events that we think of as wars are "military actions"-- Korean "War", Vietnam "War", First Iraq "war", second Iraq "war", Afghanistan "war", Kosovo, Libya, etc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_Unit...

[nothrabannosir]

Not without the blessing of congress. Not officially, at least.