E66: The Role of Citizens in Going to War

The United States of America is a republic founded on democratic principles. Not a democracy, but a republic. That means that, except in rare circumstances, the citizens do not vote on issues at the national level. Instead, we elect representatives of the people and of the component states of the United States to make those decisions. That does not, however, absolve those citizens for decisions about war, peace, what goes before, and what comes after. This episode addresses the role of the citizenry in national military strategy and how to properly exercise that role.

 

Music:

Traditional folksong, “Garryowen,” recorded by the U.S. Army Strings

Copland, "Fanfare for the Common Man"

Holst, “The Planets: Mars Bringer of War,” downloaded from the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/lp_holst-the-planets_gustav-holst-leopold-stokowski-los-angeles

Richard Wagner, “Siegfried Fantasie,” recorded by the USMC Band