PBS' "The War" and are we letting it happen again?

Last night while watching The War, Ken Burns' latest documentary on PBS, I was reminded about the parallels between the Spanish American War and the current Iraq War. The documentary, which I highly recommend, described the initial throws of war with Japan in the Phillipines post-Pearl Harbor. It did not, however, discuss why the United States had such an entrenched position in the Phillipines in the first place. The documentary titled last nights' episode, "The Necessary War". There is no question about the danger in the world at the time or the need to ensure victory against forces that wanted to impose their imperialist rule on the world. However, it is critical to understand why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and specifically went after the Phillipines. And it all started more than 40 years earlier in a conflict with Spain... From Wikipedia:

The Spanish-American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place from April to August 1898.

The war began due to American demands that Spain peacefully resolve the Cuban fight for independence, though strong expansionist sentiment in the United States may have also motivated the government to target Spain's other remaining overseas territories: Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam and the Caroline Islands.

Riots in Havana by pro-Spanish "Voluntarios" gave the United States a reason to send in the warship USS Maine to indicate high national interest. Tension among the American people was raised because of the explosion of the USS Maine, and "yellow journalism" that accused Spain of extensive atrocities...

...The first battle was in the sea near the Philippines where, on May 1, 1898, leading Commodore George Dewey, commanding the United States Pacific Fleet aboard the USS Olympia, in a matter of hours, defeated the Spanish squadron...

...Meanwhile, Dewey allowed Emilio Aguinaldo to return to the Philippines. Aguinaldo's forces attacked the Spanish Army on land, successfully defeating them, and ended with the Battle of Manila (July 25, 1898–August 13, 1898) where the Spaniards surrendered Manila...

...The United States annexed the former Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam. The notion of the United States as an imperial power, with colonies, was hotly debated domestically with President McKinley and the Pro-Imperialists winning their way over vocal opposition led by Democrat William Jennings Bryan, who had supported the war. The American public largely supported the possession of colonies, but there were many outspoken critics such as Mark Twain, who wrote The War Prayer in protest.

Interestingly, the story (and parallels) build:

In 1899 the First Philippine Republic was proclaimed in Malolos, Bulacan but was later dissolved by the US forces, leading to the Philippine-American War between the United States and the Philippine revolutionaries, which continued the violence of the previous years. The US proclaimed the war ended when Aguinaldo was captured by American troops on March 23, 1901, but the struggle continued until 1913. The country's status as a colony changed when it became the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935, which provided for more self-governance. Plans for increasing independence over the next decade were interrupted during World War II when Japan invaded and occupied the islands.

During the same period as the Spanish American War, Japan was rapidly becoming an imperialist power on the Asian continent and surrounding oceanic areas - war with China (1894-95), suppressing the Boxer Rebellion (1900) and war with Russia (1904-05). World War I served to strengthen the Japanese military including the powerful Navy. Japan went to war again with China in 1937. With United States' continued imperialism in the Pacific, there was inevitable conflict on the horizon with Japan to determine who would be the dominant pacific player leading right up to the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into World War II, which Ken Burns estimates killed 50 to 60 Million people (write it out: 50,000,000 to 60,000,000 people)...

So, why do I think of the Iraq War when I hear World War II? Because the events leading up to World War II have so many parallels and potential parallels with Iraq. Talk of a cakewalk to win a war in a far-off land. War with a seemingly weak opponent who wilted under immense firepower. Chaotic government administration following the immediate expulsion of the previous government. Years-long armed resistance from internal revolutionary groups looking to expel the occupation force. Nearby regional powers uncomfortable with advancing imperialism. Talk of broader wars. Fear propaganda. Proxy-wars. Regional instability. Diplomatic failures.

Here is the point:
We need to hold Congress accountable to their duties as explained in the Constitution - mainly, the sole responsibility, and owner, of the power of declaring war. It can not be placed in the hands of the president - no matter what party you favor, you have to believe that this power is not to be trusted in one individual who is not accountable to any of us individually. Put the power back in Congress by demanding that no future action be taken without their decree. We can stop an inevitable 40-50 year train now if we just take a moment to look back in history to ensure it does not repeat itself.

For those in doubt of the seriousness of today's state of affairs: Here is a link for those of you who did not watch 60-minutes tense interview with Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ignore the headlines and listen to what the man has to say and how he says it. It will raise the hair on your neck as you see him egg on George Bush - so don't forget, it's a collective decision to go to war, not one person's.