Koopman: Alme, Flint crickets on ongoing, costly wars

Roger Koopman

The Koopmans came to America in 1910, in the steerage section of a ship headed for Ellis Island. Grandpa was a man of peace, seeking peace. He wanted no part of Prussian militarism and “the Kaiser’s wars.” So he packed up four kids and a wife, and three generations later, the Koopmans are still seeking peace, not war. I guess I have it in my blood.

Pop would often say, “the Democrats are the war party.” Even as a kid, that stuck in my head, and probably had a lot to do with me becoming a Republican. But Dad was wrong. There are two war parties. It just depends on which party is in power at the time, and resides at the White House. The war industry lobby on the other hand, is distinctly non-partisan. They make their billions regardless.

For years, I tried not to believe that about the GOP. If, after all, Republicans are the conservatives they claim to be, they will embrace a philosophy of freedom and free will over force and coercion. Their non-interventionist convictions where liberty, property, opportunity and free markets are concerned, should equally apply to foreign policy and relations between nations. To a conservative, the essential role of government, constitutionally speaking, is protective and defensive. Thus, the role of our constitutionally-constrained military is exactly the same. Supremely powerful. But defensive, not offensive. Non-interventionist in the affairs of other nations.

The fact that GOP presidents and congressmen jump the track on this principle in foreign policy perhaps helps explain why they are becoming increasingly more interfering and interventionist at home as well. But that’s s topic for another time…

Here’s just a partial list, beginning in 1990, of countries where America initiated one or more military actions -- in each case, without congressional declarations of war: Panama (’89), Kuwait, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, Philippines, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Iran. This doesn’t include all the covert actions never officially reported.

Note: Most of these ground attacks, bombing raids, missile and drone strikes, special forces raids, etc., were initiated by Republican administrations. To those hundreds of thousands who lie dead, or who lost their loved ones, their homes or their communities, they couldn’t care less if the bomb or bullet had a D or an R on it, or who the “war party” happened to be at any particular moment. Meanwhile, Americans need to ask, where all these wars have gotten us, besides (1) deeply in debt, (2) thousands of physically and psychologically damaged soldiers, and (3) multiplied enemies around the world.

Shifting to the present, our nation has become so joined at the hip holsters with Moslem-targeting, Lebanon land-taking Israel that we launched an offensive war against Iran at Israel’s insistence. They posed no serious threat to us, and yet we have emptied our weapons stores on their heads, then watched them retaliate by decimating our military bases in the region.

According to the Iran War Cost Tracker, the direct cost to the taxpayers so far: $113 billion, plus another $72 billion just in higher gas prices. Secretary Hegseth now wants another $87.6 billion from congress.

Here’s the rub. Because it’s a Republican president who has gotten us into this mess (“entangling alliance” to quote Washington,) almost every congressional Republican – except Thomas Massie -- has put on the party blinders and lined up behind him. Democrats form the opposing line. Were Trump a Democrat president, the lines would form in reverse directions.

The most telling issue now before Congress, involves Section 219, inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act as a way of forever fusing the military adventures of Israel and the United States. That’s its ultimate purpose, and is heavily promoted by the same Israeli lobby (AIPAC) that camps out at every congressional door, interferes with US elections, and heavily contributes to the campaigns of 454 senators and congressmen.

I’ve perused this five-page provision and can hardly believe what I’m reading (see HB 8800 at congress.gov.). The wholesale “integration” of emerging American military technology, innovation, advanced research, artificial intelligence, data fusion, electronic warfare, manufacturing co-production and much more, is absolutely shocking.

Sure. American presidents already have the ability to make temporary cooperative military agreements with other nations. Adding Section 219 isn’t needed for that. What is being here is ongoing, permanent, and unprecedented. No other nation in the world has merged with the US military in this way. For Israel, it puts widescale integration on autopilot.

More than anything, I wanted to know where our three Republican congressional candidates stood on this monstrous proposal, that makes the US and Israel permanent partners in war. So I wrote Kurt Alme, Aaron Flint, and incumbent congressman Troy Downing, asking for their position and a brief explanation. Frankly, I wanted to know if they were prepared to think for themselves – and defend American sovereignty and constitutional law – or if they were just going to be three more partisan puppets on the Republican side of the aisle.

I got my answers. Much to my dismay, neither Alme nor Flint responded for purposes of this column. Crickets. That tells me with assurance, that they are both backing Donald Trump in the matter of Section 219, and blindly supporting Israel’s military aggressions at our expense.

Congressman Downing showed a lot more class – and a sense of public duty over pure politics. Here, in part, was the congressman’s response:

“Israel is one of America’s strongest allies… Cooperation with our allies is not new, and this initiative creates a voluntary channel for future defense technology cooperation without undermining our sovereignty or national security. No nation has, nor will have, unlimited access to our most sensitive information or advanced technology… The initiative strengthens our defense capabilities and delivers a net gain for U.S. national security.” (Full answer available on request.)

Downing goes on to describe critics of 219 as forwarding a “false narrative.” While I deeply respect the congressman for his forthrightness on this matter, I also profoundly disagree with him. What he’s describing can already be done on a specific and temporary basis. This thing is permanent, and is uniquely designed for Israel only. It is terrible policy, and it appears that all three Republican candidates are on the wrong side.

Draw your own conclusions, and vote accordingly. As for me, I cannot support partisan puppets in either party. It looks like I’ll be writing in the names of people I can trust.

Roger Koopman is president of Montana Conservative Alliance. He served four years in the Montana House of Representatives and eight years as a Montana Public Service Commissioner. Koopman operated a Bozeman small business for 37 years.