✍️ Spotlight: War Is Not a Solution
On war powers, consequences, and unfinished causes
The United States and Israel have now launched military action against Iran. As of this writing, Congress has not declared war. Americans are again watching events unfold in real time, with consequences that are anything but theoretical.
When a president initiates military action without clear congressional authorization, it raises serious constitutional concerns—regardless of party.
I wrote the piece below in 2010, during the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I reposted it last year because I believed its message still applied. I wish I did not feel compelled to spotlight it again today.
My argument then was simple: War does not solve root problems. It spills blood, expands suffering, and often leaves the original cause untouched. Treating violence as a solution is like putting a bucket under an overflowing sink instead of turning off the faucet.
Sixteen years later, the question remains the same. Will we deal with causes—or manage consequences?
The essay below is unchanged.