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The Generic U.S. Presidential War Narrative: Justifying Military Force And Imagining The Nation, Adam Hodges
The Generic U.S. Presidential War Narrative: Justifying Military Force And Imagining The Nation, Adam Hodges
Adam Hodges
In his 1795 essay on perpetual peace, Kant points out that in political systems where power rests with the people and their representatives, “the consent of the citizens is required to decide whether or not war is to be declared” (Kant 1991: 100). In theory, the necessity of obtaining the consent of citizens should help stave off unwarranted uses of the military because, as Kant explains, “it is very natural that they [the citizens] will have great hesitation in embarking on so dangerous an enterprise” (Kant 1991: 100). In other words, and more specific to the American context, given the …