The power to declare war is one of those very important powers, that those that debated upon our Constitution, were well aware of; in which they well understood the importance and the dangers of such. Therefore, the fact that the power to declare war as written into our Constitution, clearly stipulates that this power rests specifically in the hands of Congress, as per Article 1, Section 8, of said Constitution, proves unequivocally that this country did not wish to have the power to declare such war solely in the hands of just one person, as in the Executive officer. Yet, America has been in one war or another, for the entire 21st century, as well as having two undeclared wars, the Korean and the Vietnam war that cost the lives of thousands upon thousands of United States soldiers.
In the waning time of Nixon’s reign, Congress, decided to pass the War Powers Resolution Act, and despite Nixon’s subsequent veto, Congress successfully overrode that veto. Basically, that Congressional act, though arguably, not necessary as the Constitution already authorized war as being the sole domain of Congress, provided, what appeared to be, some well needed redundancy, so that America would not utilize its military force in foreign conflicts, without the expressed approval for war by that Congress.
Yet, as in most everything, there is the law as written, the legislation as passed, and then there is the reality of the situation as practiced; of which, America continues to engage in war after war, without bothering to consult, let alone receive an actual declaration of war from its Congress. So too, the Judicial side of our three-branch government, in regards to weighing in on Executive declared wars, finds itself, perpetually just sitting on its hands, doing nothing, adding nothing, and seeing nothing, untoward. Therefore, it can only be in a construct in which Congress actually decides to show some spine, by standing up as one against the Executive branch, in regards to these undeclared wars, that the Constitution, as well as the War Powers Resolution, would have any relevancy in the real world, and until that is done, absolutely nothing will change.
Of course, for those that are cynical, they might just believe that the real reason why Congress has ceded their power to declare war to that Executive office, has a lot more to do with the fact that their lust for getting elected and thereby getting re-elected, signifies their clear willingness to not stand in the way of what the military-industrial-technology complex so desires, and what they desire, is constant war; which makes for constant growth and good profit. So then, in a time in which Congress sheepishly steps aside, and with the Judicial branch demonstrating no interest at all, this thus means that only one person, the Executive, needs to greenlight our ever-constant wars; of which, perhaps that Executive wouldn’t even be in office, if it wasn’t an absolute certainty that they would be obedient to that military-industrial-technology complex, which exerts an immense amount of persuasive power, all under the guise that only war will bring lasting peace – though it that was true, profits and growth for that military-industrial-technology complex would correspondingly go way, way, down.