|
DEMOCRATS
WHO TOOK US TO WAR:
James K. Polk, Mexican American War.
Jefferson Davis, Civil War. Well, he's hardly a US president, being
only president of the Confederacy, but he was, sorry, Democrats,
a conservative Southern Democrat. That was back when the Democrats
were all about "states rights," believe it or not. Seceded
from the Union. Not clear if this started the Civil War, 'cause
it would probably not have happened if Lincoln had not denied the
right of secession and insisted on freedom for black slaves. However,
the Confederacy did fire the first shot at Fort Sumpter.
Woodrow Wilson, WWI.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, WWII ! Pretty good
war.
Harry S. Truman, Korean War.
John F. Kennedy: Viet Nam. Sorry, Democrats.
Lyndon B. Johnson: Escalation in Viet Nam. Sorry, Democrats.
Carter: Botched raid on Tehran to free hostages. Not really a war,
but including him to balance off Eisenhower, who didn't really start
a war either.
Bill Clinton: Attacked Yugoslavia without a UN Security Council
resolution, Invaded Haiti to restore the democratically elected
president, invaded Somalia and cut and ran when it turned to chaos.
Bombed al Quaeda bases in Afghanistan with cruise missiles in an
attempt to kill bin Laden. Bombed Bahgdad during the Monica Lewinsky
scandal.
Total Democratic Presidents who Took Us to War: 8-9 |
REPUBLICANS
WHO TOOK US TO WAR:
Abraham Lincoln, Civil War. He did not fire the first shot, but
he denied the South had a right to secede. Freed the slaves. Sorry,
Democrats. Of course, back then, the Republican party stood for
about the opposite of what they have stood for since the '90s when
it comes to race.
Eisenhower: Sent first "advisors" to Indochina. This does not really
constitute starting a war, but Viet Nam was never technically a
war anyway, and it is hard to tell when it really started. We will
include Eisenhower anyway and balance him off with Carter, whose
actions were not really "starting a war" either. Famously
warned of the growing influence of the "military-industrial
complex" and its threat to American civilization. Sorry, Democrats.
Ike jumped on that first.
Richard M. Nixon, escalation in Viet Nam. Nixon also ended the Viet
Nam War. He called it "peace with honor." Actually, he
cut and ran.
Ronald Reagan, Grenada, covert action in support of the Contras
in Nicaragua. Armed and supported the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan.
He called them freedom fighters. Cut and ran from Beirut after 200+
US Marines were killed in a suicide bombing. Armed Iran secretly,
by making Central American "Contras" the middle-men, in
return for the release of hostages. The secret got out and became
the Iran-Contra scandal. Initiated the expensive "Star Wars"
missile shield program, which has not worked yet. Turned his back
on diplomacy and "detant" with the Russians in favor vastly
increasing defense spending, thus ending the cold war and the arms
race because Russia could not afford to keep up.
George Bush Sr.: Operation Desert Storm. Refused to cross the Iraqi
border to unseat Saddam because there was no exit strategy. Invasion
of Panama to remove Manuel Noriega.
George W. Bush, Afghanistan & Iraq. Police action to remove the democratically
elected president of Haiti. Lied to the American people to make a case
for the invasion of Iraq. Conquests may soon include Iran.
Total Republican Presidents who Took Us to War: 5-6
|
