Articles by Stacy Bannerman

Article #4-Tuesday, November 1, 2005 (reprinted with permission).

The Anatomy of War and Politics by Stacy Bannerman

Balls, guts, brains, heart. That's what soldiers in a war zone talk about. Those are the words-and the qualities that they represent--that get volleyed about in between mortar rounds, RPGs, and I.E.D.s. When the soldiers lose one of their own, the highest tribute that can be paid is to say that they had 'em, they had 'em all: Balls, guts, brains, heart. When it's your boots on the ground, and your buddy's life on the line, it's personal.

If there's an anatomy of war, it won't be found in the icefields of Congress or the Pentagon, where the vast majority of the decision-makers have never even worn a uniform. The real anatomy of war is found in the field, and it belongs to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. So I don't think it's too much to ask that the people who are making the calls about combat put themselves on the line, too.

But they haven't done it yet. Where is the political leadership calling for an end to this debacle? It's not as though it can't be done. It has been. The Vietnam War ended when Congress quit funding it. Furthermore, the War Powers Act of 1973 grants to Congress the authority to stop illegal, immoral wars by stipulating that: at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution. (Sec. 5.C.)

Congress has the power to end this war. They are choosing not to exercise it, a choice they have made repeatedly. Congress could have slowed the run-up to the war, could have raised questions, and demanded that they were answered, could have refused to issue President Bush a blank check to spend on the war in Iraq. When it was revealed that there never were any weapons of mass destruction, Congress could have acted. When the Downing Street memos came to light, Congress could've gotten involved.

Given the numerous developments in the past year, including the recent indictment of Scooter Libby "on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements." The five-count indictment charges that he lied to FBI agents and to the federal grand jury about how and when he learned classified information about the employment of a CIA agent, Valerie Plame, and disclosed that information to three journalists (Washington Post, 10-28-05) Congress most assuredly could have taken definitive action.

Congress could have taken the kind of action that the majority of Americans want. According to recent polls, nearly two-thirds of Americans want the troops brought back from Iraq. Surveys show that 54% of respondents in a Gallup poll conducted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina indicated that cutting spending on the Iraq war is the best way to pay for hurricane relief. Congress could have acted, and in doing so, would be serving the majority interest of this nation, as well as promoting Homeland Security. They would also be making a stand for moral values, and everything that is right and good and true about this country, rather than paying lip service to the ideals of truth, and freedom, and democracy. We need politicians who actually believe in the ideals upon which this nation was founded, and domestic and foreign policies that reflect them.

Our soldiers believe in the American principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They're putting their balls, guts, brains, and hearts on the line to prove it. Why aren't the people we've elected to Congress doing the same?

Stacy Bannerman is a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus (www.fpif.org) and on the Advisory Board of Military Families Speak Out www.mfso.org. Her book, When the War Came Home: The Inside Story of Citizen Soldiers and the Families Left Behind, will be released by Continuum Publishing in 2006. Her husband deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard 81st Brigade in March 2004, and returned home on March 11, 2005.

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