Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
"Political Observations" (1795-04-20); also in Letters and Other Writings of James Madison (1865), Vol. IV, p. 491
Congress, trying to do something about it
A slightly more conservative take on the war: appreciated but not completely agreed with
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2 comments:
Tangential:
One of the things about this war that I find very disturbing is that we have forgotten that we were lied to at the start(or were we?). The WMD thing has been just dropped. I don't hear anyone defending the validity of the claim anymore, which is understandable, because no one is challenging the validity anymore. How does such a glaring issue get just dropped? Did I miss a big news break some place? Please inform me if I have been sleeping at the wheel. I thought sure I would have noticed those headlines. How is it that this got shelved?
Well said.
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