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by hn3333 2158 days ago
That's assuming Tweets actually serve an actual diplomatic function and are not merely marketing/propaganda for voters.

(Also POTUS is not authorized to declare any wars btw.)

7 comments

> (Also POTUS is not authorized to declare any wars btw.)

While true, this effectively doesn't matter given the number of people we've bombed since our last declaration of war in 1942 [0].

[0] https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/h_multi_sections_a...

> That's assuming Tweets actually serve an actual diplomatic function and are not merely marketing/propaganda for voters.

He has fired people over twitter [0] so I'm not sure the scope of one can do there is limited to "marketing/propaganda"

> (Also POTUS is not authorized to declare any wars btw.)

Other nations are not going to read the US law first before deciding if the declaration was or not real.

[0] https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/13/17113950/trump-state-depa...

> He has fired people over twitter [0]

All we have here is an announcement. Seriously doubt this was the "official" firing, hiring or promoting of anyone. The statement in the article isn't even from Tillerson, so we don't really know.

> Other nations are not going to read the US law first before deciding if the declaration was or not real

There's a lot more formality to declaring war, for any nation. Not to mention the lack of anything else to support such a statement, like an actual press conference or public statements, media attention or, you know, actual military movement which all capable nations track constantly.

You again? Please stop with the Trump apologism already, we have a trade war that was mostly conducted via twitter, people heard via twitter that their services were no longer required, the whole Mexican affair was conducted via the phone and when that didn't work out led to a slew of angry tweets. There is definitely precedent enough that if Trump's twitter account would speak the right magic words that you can expect a reaction.

"Dear Twitter Followers, It is with grave heart that I have to ask you to do the right thing for your country, go out and do something about - insert bogeyman of the hour here - and I will be sure to reward you greatly. The time has come to do your part. I personally promise to pardon anybody that ends up on the wrong side of what today still is the law. Let's take this country and make it even greater."

That's just a two minute sample, give me an hour or so and I'll come up with something much worse than that. These things are easier to start than to stop.

You people really don't know Trump and his supporters.
I think you read far too deep into things you don't like, and try to find something to be upset about. It's kind of the national pastime these days, it seems.

No nation is going to start killing people because of a Tweet. Be realistic.

It detracts from your otherwise valid points when paranoia and blind hatred overshadow your arguments.

The number of posts you've made about the leader of a foreign nation is astonishing. Are there zero domestic problems to be fired up about?

> You again?

I guess I could say the same. Touché.

There are multiple instances of policy changes where 'Twitter first' was the chosen road.
They can seemingly do most acts which occur in war, as long as they don’t officially declare it.

I mean, when is the last time we officially declared war? It has to have been decades ago.

1942
Ok, mass panic then?
Deleted
He doesn't have to declare anything, another country to simply react to a tweet and then you'd be in a way, like it or not.
Doesn't matter. Imagine, for a moment, a Tweet posted on Trump's account along the lines of Reagan's joke in 1984 [1]:

> Iran has gone TOO FAR! As President I have ordered the use of nuclear weapons against key military targets. We begin bombing in five minutes.

Regardless of the plausibility of the message, it would be likely to trigger a panicked response from foreign militaries. It's not at all implausible that it'd start a war.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_begin_bombing_in_five_minut...

Not sure why you're downvoted. This is a real possibility as insane as it sounds.