Published: 2024-03-07
Stopping "Forever Wars" starts at Home
Texas' Republican Primary included associated proposals for the state legislature, of which no. 6 was:
The Texas Legislature should prohibit the deployment of the Texas National Guard to a foreign conflict unless Congress first formally declares war.
84% of Texans said "Hell Yeah!!"
This initiative does not come out of nowhere. The Defend the Guard movement is a project by Bring Our Troops Home. It wishes to confer constitutional rights to the state based National Guards via state legislation which would prevent the guards being deployed overseas for federal purposes unless, and only if, Congress has declared war.
This is a law which any state can pass, as have 3. Legislation is on the books waiting to be brought before legislatures in 27 more states.
Defend the Guard/Bring Our Troop Home have an eloquent, experienced combat veteran, Dan McKnight, devoted to engaging with US citizens to realize this consitutional protection for the states' National Guards.
People and Institutions
Daniel L. Davis left the US military as a Lieutenant Colonel (yeah, another Col.). He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valour in Iraq (Gulf War, 1991), and the Bronze Star for Sevice (Afghanistan). I wouldn't characterize Davis as a peace activist, but rather a 'treat your military with respect' activist. AKA "don't do dumb shit".
Dan McKnight is a former US Marine and Idaho National Guard Seargant who has been leading the Defend the Guard effort.
Kelly Vlahos was for three years managing editor of The American Conservative magazine, having previously been a contributing editor. She is now with the Quincey Institute (QI) for Responsible Statecraft.
QI is a somewhat recent (2019-) addition to US 'think tank' policy sphere, generally advocating restraint. The most well known members of their board would be [Col.] Andrew Bacevich and [The Nation's editorial directory and publisher] Katrina vanden Heuvel. Their key funding is identified through the chairman of the Board, Stephen Heintz, who is also the president of the Rockerfeller Brothers Fund. Their key publication is Responsible Statecraft.
Update
Dammit, Idaho. Who are your reps representing?
Idaho House Committee Votes Down 'Defend the Guard' Legislation, Dave DeCamp, Antiwar, 2024-03-18
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Audio correction: electrical / electoral, close enough.
Sources
Texas Republicans Vote Overwhelmingly in Favor of Restricting Combat Deployments of State's National Guard, Dave DeCamp, Antiwar, 2024-03-06
Bring Our Troops Home: Vet Dan McKnight Shows Us How, Hunter DeRensis, Antiwar, 2024-01-11
Heroes in Civilian Clothing: Veteran Peace Activists, YesXorNo, 2024-03-05
Mystery Solved: US DoD Killed Soldiers, YesXorNo, 2024-02-11
Defend the Guard, YesXorNo, 2023-03-26
Bring Our Troops Home⧸Vet Dan McKnight Shows Us How, Davis interview McKnight, Daniel Davis / Deep Dive, 2024-01-10
DC Elite = America's Greatest Threat w⧸Kelley Vlahos & Dan McKnight, [Col.] Daniel L. Davis interviews Vlahos & McKnight, Daniel Davis / Deep Dive, 2024-02-14
Deceiving the public about our wars - Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen, Diesen & Mercouris interview Davis, The Duran, 2024-02-06
Copyleft: CC0
Defending the Guard