Libya

I see our military actions in Libya are drawing fire.

I am agnostic about the wisdom of what NATO is doing there. But I believe the president's actions are legal.

Have we forgotten "the shores of Tripoli" in the Marine Corps Hymn? That refers to a war we waged against the so-called Barbary Pirates from 1801 to 1805 under President Thomas Jefferson. We didn't declare war.

Throughout our history, the Navy and Marine Corps fought in foreign conflicts, including our "Quasi War" with France under President Adams, without a declaration of war. Our founders were quite suspicious of a standing army, but harbored no similar prejudices against the Navy and its associated Marines. The Constitution, for example, prohibits appropriations for the army longer than two years, but has no similar limitation for naval appropriations.

This historical and legal foundation became muddled by the creation of the Department of Defense in 1947.

Why we felt the need for DOD is a mystery. We had just triumphed in the greatest military conflict in history, with our original structure of a Department of the Navy and a War Department (the army). Unification was a solution in search of a problem.

There's nothing we are doing in Libya right now that can't be handled by what we used to call the "Navy/Marine Corps Team."

Keep the army in their garrisons until we need them and then call up the militia and declare war. It worked well for a long time. And put the Air Force back in the Army, where it belongs.

Rambling

Cambridge MA, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I understand from a recently published list of media that cover Pamlico County that mine is a "rambling blog."

I prefer the term "eclectic."

I don't object to "rambling." I certainly never promised to limit my thoughts to certain subjects or to Oriental and Pamlico County.

I hope my readers don't mind.

This week, we're rambling in Massachusetts.

Afghanistan, Bananastan

I was glad to see in Pamlico Today that Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. has come out publicly for a withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Senator Aiken of Vermont once observed during the Vietnam War that the US could well declare victory and bring the troops home, leaving the conflict to be resolved politically.

Not a bad idea for Afghanistan today. We need to get over the illusion that we can remake the world by force of arms. We may have better success by using the force of ideas. Or example.

New England

We got out of New Hampshire just in time to miss the debate.

Still cold here in the Boston area. Visited Winchester, MA today, where I lived while studying international relations, including courses in international economics. Lovely place. While it's a bit chilly today, it becomes really chilly in midwinter.

The house we lived in still looks over the street as it always did.

Much has changed, but much is the same.

Graduation Day

Hanover, NH Sunday, June 12, 2011. The Dartmouth class of 2011 graduated this morning. It was cold and rainy, but both funny and exciting.

The commencement address was delivered by Conan O'Brian.

There were two valedictorians - both were young women. Forty years ago, no women were admitted. Now, about half the student body are women. And most of the honors graduates.

The same number of graduates were named Wang as were named Smith.

It was a diverse student body. Many of color, including Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Oriental Americans, South Asians and Africans. They are America's new elite.

Today we saw the future in Hanover, NH. And the future is good.

It's Cold Up Here

If you plan on going to New Hampshire from Oriental anytime soon, remember it gets cold and rainy. Be prepared. I wasn't.

Traveling North

Just a word to the wise: when traveling north on I-95, if you can avoid Delaware, do so. Big delays from construction.

On Outgrowing Earth

Today's article in the New York Times by Thomas Friedman should be alarming.

But don't worry. Oriental's member of Pamlico County's Board of Commissioners reported at the last Board meeting that she and others have successfully blocked an effort by NC planners to push restrictions on construction based on predicted sea rise. The objection: the plan was based on computer modeling. Presumably, we are supposed to wait until the water actually rises. That would be scientific.