Writes Vincent Castigliola:

Dear Lew,

Contrary to the oft heard Wilsonian assertion that the US and members of the US military have some duty to make “the World Safe for Democracy”, we who have, or are serving in the United States military gave our oath to protect and defend the Constitution.  Nowhere in that Oath, either express or implied, is a duty to protect, much less promote, democracy in the US, or worldwide.  

Likewise, the word “democracy” is nowhere present in the Declaration of Independence nor in the US Constitution. The authors of the Constitution were in fact, fearful of any form of tyranny, including tyranny of the majority.

On the other hand the Constitution makes clear a person’s right to due process

Article [V] (Amendment 5 – Rights of Persons)

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury,…; nor shall any person ….be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;…

Section 8

1: The Congress shall have Power …;

10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

11: To declare War, …

How often have members of United States military been sent off on quests for “regime change” in pursuit of some nebulous democratic ideal?

Last week members of the United States Navy were directed by president Trump to execute missile attacks which denied a number of persons their lives, without any sort of due process, but based merely upon very questionable and disputed allegations.

In addition to requiring our good US sailors to violate their oath, President Trump as commander-in-chief ordered them to engage in acts of war where no war had been declared, as required the US Constitution, and likewise commanded them to take actions which killed people without any justification of self defense. Many statues define killing persons without the justification of war or self-defense as murder.

I respect and support the men who serve in our military; however, I find it difficult to afford that same respect to the persons who order servicemen to violate their oath.

No President owes the people in in any foreign country, including Syria, a particular form of government. On the other hand, the president most certainly does owe the people of United States and the members of our military under his command, the duty to respect both his and their oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and to act consistent with the principles actually stated therein.