I submit that the power to start, and conduct, any war or military operation solely rest on the shoulders of Congress. Presidents have contravened the first article of the Constitution which grants solely to Congress the power to “declare war and raise and support the armed forces.” I’m done waiting for scholars and commentators to argue the founding fathers’ original intention here; meanwhile Presidents allow themselves to secretly conduct wars under the world’s, and our noses, speaking treacheries like, “Congress can DECLARE whatever they want. We’re the ones in command.”

So, I propose that only Congress – by a vote of 2/3 in both the House and Senate, with the President maintaining veto power – can be the only state power to incite, begin amassing forces for, invoke the military planning and tactics necessary to, decide to continue, and especially end, any war, conflict, military intervention and/or counterinsurgent operation. The simple act of ending a war requires only a vote of the simple majority in both House and Senate.

I don’t see this as causing every war to come to its end too abruptly. I see it as adding considerations to the process, which Presidents and politicians should absolutely consider before conducting any war. First of all, they should consider that their war may never end the way they had intended it to. Perhaps they most often result in some kind of vicious, bloody quagmire – those we’ve become so used to seeing and which cause civilian casualties to grow ever higher as the battles rage on.

In addition, by inducting such a heightened scrutiny as this to be placed over the decision of war-making, we might also effectively put an end to the massive military expenditure that this country incurs, second only to Social Security spending and, the veritable multiple of the next three countries including China and Russia – combined. If Article 6 of the US Constitution were upheld as it should be, we might join other countries of the world that don't have runaway budgets in the trillions in order to support their militaries; these countries are instead able to focus on the improvement of their economy, assisting those in greater need and in more vulnerable circumstances in life, and beginning to solve the problems that are also awaiting us in the future; I say as the mercury in thermometers steadily rise.

I believe that all of the ideas here on Egora can be instated easily, and easily funded, simply through the elimination of the vast portion of military spending that is being mentioned now, and which holds the nation back from its other more idealistic pursuits. I propose that this submission be drafted into future congressional legislation and introduced – unlike the means in which the War Powers Resolution was introduced – introduced instead during the term of a President who’s open to a more rational, humane method which calls for greater accounting and increased oversight over that which is the most horrific and brutal act on this Earth – which not only constitutes evil in itself but contains all other evils within it.

So, this idea will not only pave the way for a more just, anti-expansionist doctrine, but a significant amount of freshly available offers of individual welfare and social well-being, as well as more necessary social programs for the purpose of promoting every mental, physical, emotional, and financial expansions so that every citizen be more healthy than (s)he is today.