By CHRISTOPHER MANION
On Wednesday, March 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video address to the U.S. Congress in which he pleaded for more U.S. aid to his embattled country in its battle against Russia’s invasion.
“Right now when we need you right now. Remember Pearl Harbor, [the] terrible morning of December 7, 1941. When your sky was black from the planes attacking you,” he said.
“Just remember . . . September the 11th. A terrible day in 2001 when [Muslim terrorists] will try to turn your cities, independent territories into battlefields. When innocent people were attacked,” he added.
Mr. Zelenskyy’s remarks were well-received. Admittedly, the fog of war and conflicting propaganda eclipse vital facts, both on the ground in Ukraine and in events preceding the invasion in the United States, in NATO, and in Russia.
This scarcity of reliable data allows sentiment to abound. Videos like those Mr. Zelenskyy showed of suffering in Ukraine are rarely seen in the halls of Congress, and their emotional impact was powerful indeed.
It was also immediate. And Mr. Zelenskyy was well-advised to urge the Congress by invoking the strongest American symbols possible — the two most consequential attacks on the territory of the United States in recent history. His message: Act now, while the passionate wave of support for the Ukrainian people is at its height.
A sober note: Mr. Zelenskyy is telling Joe Biden personally how to run a war to which the United States is not a party. No matter. Zelenskyy offers Biden the title of “leader of the world” — a slightly histrionic stab at flattery from a former entertainer who has seen flattery work wonders in the past. It might well work with Biden as well.
But certain realities rule here. Ukraine is not the 51st state of the Union. It is not even a member of NATO. And Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution confers the power to declare war not on Joe Biden, but on the U.S. Congress.
The Congress,
The Constitution, And Crisis
Members of Congress do not represent the Ukrainian people, however much they might admire their determination in the face of the Russian invasion. A Member of Congress represents his constituents. And, when faced with Zelenskyy’s demand that Congress commit the United States to increase its support for Ukraine, including and beyond the demand for a “No Fly Zone” above Ukraine enforced by the United States, sentiment alone is an inadequate basis for reaching the decision to vote in the affirmative.
Zelenskyy is urging the Congress to embrace measures that could well invite a state of war between Russia and the United States. And the fact that Mr. Putin is unpopular in the West does not erase his warning that the escalation demanded by Mr. Zelenskyy would be considered by Putin to constitute an act of war of the United States against Russia.
Congress last voted a formal Declaration of War against Bulgaria in 1942. We recall that the track record of the United States in the undeclared wars conducted since then has been less than remarkable.
All sentiment aside, in the cold light of history the United States lost them all. And we must recognize that, among those today who aggressively advocate for greater U.S. involvement in Ukraine, a great many agendas are in play advocated by countless factions. Many of them might care little about Ukraine, but they realize that a prolonged conflict might play a vital role in accomplishment of their private political and financial agendas.
It’s time to turn all the cards face up on the table.
Before Members of Congress embrace steps that bring our country further toward the brink of war, Americans must demand that Members first consult their constituents.
Congressional leaders Pelosi, Schumer, McCarthy, and McConnell should immediately declare a two-week recess. Members should return to their districts and hold nonstop public consultations, town halls, and open forums — “for constituents only.” This would permit a public airing of opinions on all sides.
A responsible Congress must first consult the American people. Only then can Members return to the Capitol and address all aspects of this momentous issue. Only then can they go on the record supporting or opposing a Declaration of War against Russia.
If Members of Congress sidestep their responsibilities in a matter of such gravity, they are failing grievously to fulfill their oath of office.
They should resign en masse.
How Quickly Power Corrupts
“Never give to your friend any power which your enemy might one day inherit” — Conservative Leader Paul Weyrich.
In a time of crisis, the powerful are tempted to avail themselves of confusion and fear to extend their power. In doing so, they never tell us, “Beware! This onerous imposition affects the daily life of your family, your community, and the practice of your faith!”
No, quite the opposite. In the words of former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as he barred us from the Mass and just about everything else but abortion clinics, “I’m doing this to keep you safe.”
Inspired by that Pandemic spirit, and behind the veil of the Ukraine crisis, the Permanent Representatives Committee of the Council of the European Union announced last Friday that it had “formally endorsed the Council’s negotiating mandate with the European Parliament to extend the Regulation establishing the EU Digital COVID Certificate.”
In plain English, the EU wants to make the electronic “COVID Passport” mandatory and permanent. For everyone.
The announcement was delivered with the same twist of irony so fondly employed by Orwell’s Ministry of Truth: “Freedom is Slavery,” blared the Ministry’s slogan, and the opposite is also true: “Slavery is Freedom.”
In that foul spirit, the EU’s Council proudly instructed us how pleased we should be that the digital Passport “has played an important role in facilitating the free movement of people during the pandemic.”
Of course, any regime contemplating the universal electronic monitoring of the population in the style of Communist China’s “Social Credit System” will find that the Passport provides an excellent means of implementing its plans.
That noxious notion has also found great appeal in the United States, and its roots go back a long way.
After the 9/11 attacks 21 years ago, the Bush administration joined with Congress to implement countless measures in the “War on Terrorism.” Curiously, the measures adopted were much more effective in restricting American freedoms than they were those of Osama bin Laden. And of course it was all “to keep us safe.”
Many of the violations of privacy and freedom of movement were illegal, but they successfully expanded domestic surveillance.
Bush’s “wars for democracy” and their domestic consequences led not only to disaster abroad, but the sidelining of the pro-life movement at home, as the Bush-Cheney agenda led to Democrat victories in Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008.
That result was not an accident. And the distraction provided by the war in Ukraine is not an accident either. Suddenly, the massive popular uprising in opposition to Joe Biden isn’t news any more. Sixty-Two Miles of trucks coming peacefully to protest in Washington aren’t news. Only Ukraine is.
Meanwhile, like the powers asserted by Cheney years ago, the powers asserted by Biden and his blue-state partners are still in place. While some mandates might have been rescinded, the power to restore them and add even more onerous diktats remains.
And take note of the “universal” support for the unprecedented powers behind the sanctions on Russia. Count on it, those powers will remain in place, ready to be invoked against the next “enemy of the people” — at broad and at home.
“The closest thing to eternal life on Earth is a Government Program,” Ronald Reagan once observed. The same is true of a government power.
Pray for peace, and ask your bishop to join Pope Francis on the Feast of the Annunciation as he consecrates Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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