Blog & Mablog As Events in the Middle East Unfold . . .
12 snips
Mar 2, 2026 A brisk take on a major US–Israel military operation and its early reported successes. Discussion of constitutional war powers and modern departures from congressional declarations. A warning against nation-building and why limited strikes cannot remake foreign leadership. Political calculations for Trump and likely regional shifts, including implications for the Abraham Accords and Middle Eastern alignments.
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War Powers Versus Constitutional Originalism
- Doug Wilson argues recent U.S.-Israeli action to topple Iran's leadership fits current legal practice under the War Powers framework.
- He prefers the older constitutional order where Congress declares war and the president prosecutes it for regime-changing actions.
Restore Congress's Role To Avoid Hypocrisy
- Avoid treating presidential military actions as constitutional only when your party approves; restore congressional declaration to curb hypocritical partisan posturing.
- Wilson urges returning to constitutional originalism rather than a makeshift contemporary legal order for overseas interventions.
Limited Strikes Don't Equal Nation Building
- Wilson says Trump won't alienate his MAGA base by limited strikes but would by attempting nation building like Iraq or Afghanistan.
- He emphasizes U.S. capacity to eliminate leaders from the air but not to impose democratic founders in foreign societies.