Where we fight

The film director Frank Capra made a movie during World War II entitled “Why We Fight.”  It was a propaganda film for a good cause.

The latest issue of the Smithsonian Magazine includes a map with the title  “Where We Fight.”  It lists the countries that have U.S. military bases, training and assistance operations, U.S. military exercises, countries where U.S, has combat involvement, and countries where the U.S. has carried out air or drone strikes.  

The map is amazing.  For example, in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is listed, but so are Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Oman, Djibouti, Syria (thought maybe not much longer), and Iraq.

We live in a so-called democracy, but I doubt if most Americans could find those nations on a map.  The number of countries in which U.S. service members were involved or took direct action on the ground against militants is impressive, including such places as Mauritania, Mali, Niger, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and more.  

The Constitution gives Congress the right to declare war.  It has not done so in any of these countries.