The House is expected to vote today (*Friday 6 March) on a Khanna (D)-Massey (R) Iran War Powers Resolution that would direct the Trump regime to halt further military action against Iran unless and until Congress authorizes it. Two days ago the Senate rejected the same-language Kaine (D)-Paul (R) resolution in a near-party line vote, 47-53. The only Members who broke ranks were Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky and Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
*Update: on March 6 GOP members Thomas Massie (KY) and Warren Davidson voted for the resolution; Dems Henry Cuellar (TX), Jared Golden (ME), Greg Landsman (OH), and Juan Vargas (CA) voted against the resolution in a 212-219 final tally.
On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched “Operation Epic Fury,” a joint operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and began an ongoing campaign of strikes inside Iran without a formal declaration of war. The vast majority of Democrats and a small group of libertarian‑leaning Republicans argue these actions exceed any existing authorization and therefore require new congressional approval.
The war is quickly expanding across the Middle East and to points beyond. The assassination of Khamenei (now a martyr to Shi’ite Muslims) threatens to globalize Trump’s unconstitutional, internationally illegal, reckless, strategy-less, self-serving, Netanyahu-provoked and -partnered, right wing media-stoked and -supported, and (so far) congressional-enabled, yet wildly unpopular and fascistic (violent, chaotic, anti-democratic, irrational, anti-diplomatic, deceitful, dictatorial) war of choice. A war that lines up, at least so far, with the “forever wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq — only this time with a the potential cataclysmic outcomes of more devastated economies, accelerated refugee flights, and nuclear war. Unless we mass-organize urgently and effectively.
For those who want to believe the opposite could also be true? They may be right, in a world of unpredictable scenarios. Such as a mass-democratic uprising, as mentioned above. Still, as I say to my organizing peers and political friends: Wishful thinking is not a strategy. Only strategy is strategy.
Next time, let’s discuss what that strategy needs to like like.
Yours in radical hope, with eyes wide open.
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