European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 22, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 13commentary George will Disney horror spells Hope for europeans Mickey mouse has made a successful debut in the nation that has made cultural snobbery a political philosophy John major has made mincemeat of what Little remained of Britain a left and there is a modest Market for Mussolini souvenirs in Italy. These related facts Are redundant proof that Progress is still possible even in Europe. Euro Disney has opened near Paris to Large crowds of Ordinary people a the sort of people that Many intellectuals despise. French intellectuals Are calling euro Disney a a cultural chernobyl a a a terrifying giants step toward world homogenization and a a horror made of cardboard plastic and appalling colors a construction of hardened chewing gum and idiotic folklore taken straight out of comic books written for obese  Many French thinkers who Are alarmed about such a a homogenization probably approve of the really pernicious homogenization that is under Way in Europe. It has a French accent. It is the at tempt by the european Community based in Brussels Belgium and led by the French socialist Jacques Delors to spread Over Europe like Camembert on a Cracker a superstate featuring two French specialities. The specialities Are bureaucracy and Dirig isme the policy of state supervision of economic life. Once upon a time French philosophy was cartesian a Cogito Ergo sum a �?o1 think therefore i  nowadays intellectuals of Many nations seem to believe a i Boss people around therefore i  but recently on an Island 22 Miles offshore from France one of the worlds most incorrigible bastions of bos siness Britain a labor party suffered a crushing defeat. This year in a pre election attempt to blur the party a statist profile a leading labor spokesman said a he thought soothingly a that a socialism is a set of values rather than a set economic  to which the electorate replied a right and its those values a bos siness dressed up As compassion envy Mas Wro think we were Simiet about Ine communists que Rading As egalitarianism a we dislike. You want to redistribute income. But our Money is congealed time a the time it takes us to earn it. When government takes our Money it takes the time of our lives. We would rather spend our own time. Maybe at euro  or even in pre Dappio Italy Mussolini a Hometown. Souvenirs sold there these Days include Mussolini Ash trays and key chains decorated with Little jackboots. Pre Dappio a attempt to lure tourists is in execrable taste but is not alarming. More disturbing but not very disturbing Given the Depths to which democracy has sunk roots in Italy a social soil is the recent election to parliament of Alyssandra Mussolini the dictators granddaughter a member of the Neo fas Cist party. Her election is a reminder not so Long ago Many europeans idea of fun was to attend Nairn Borg rallies or participate in pogroms or stand in Rome s Piazza Venezia beneath the Balcony from which Mussolini harangued the masses. For modern Europe Mickey mouse is a giants step up. C Washington Post Waltors group Harry g. Summers  dimensions crucial to . Way of War some years ago in a famous Jules Feiffer cartoon one Man is forcefully presenting his argument. The other is seemingly convinced but then suddenly throws the whole discussion into disarray. A first let us define your terms a he says. Once again life imitates Art As the current debate Over the size shape and composition of americans Active and Reserve defense forces increasingly follows the Feiffer Model. We too need to define our terms especially what we mean by  most discussion about War in and out of the military has to do with its Means the weaponry of War and with its various Levels nuclear War conventional War Low intensity guerrilla War and the like. Such discussions tend to confirm the american misconception that War is primarily a military act. While it is True As Karl von Clausewitz said that a War is. An act of Force to compel our enemy to do our will a it is also True that War is a in no sense autonomous. War is simply a continuation of political Intercourse with the addition of other Means. Such a political Intercourse in the Wake of the american revolution produced our Constitution and its specific provisions for waging War. While article ii Section 2, made the president the commander in chief of the armed forces article i Section 8, reserved to the Congress alone the right to declare War raise and support armies provide and maintain a Navy and provice for calling Forth the militia. The intent was to ensure that War could not be waged without approval of the a representatives of the people periodically  but these provisions did not provide sufficient latitude for responses to sudden crises. Again the a Intercourse of governments and their Peoples provided a remedy. In 1801, president Jefferson without specific congressional authorization dispatched the newly formed Navy to put Down the Barbary pirates. In so doing he established the precedent that the president acting under his authority As commander in chief could dispatch military forces to counter immediate threats. Thus the american Way of War had two separate dimensions. One was a major undertaking requiring congressional approval. Such conflicts traditionally were beyond the capability of the standing military and required mobilization of the Reserve components to not Only provide the physical capacity to wage War but also to directly involve the american people in the conflict and thereby help build and maintain Public support. This was the Case in the War of 1812, the mexican War the Spanish american War world War i and world War ii. The president sought a declaration of War from Congress the country was mobilized for War and the Reserve components and conscripts bore the Brunt of the fighting. The other Type of War was waged by the president with Active forces alone. These were usually minor crises that could be quickly resolved. Because of the tendency of the american people to a rally a round the Flag in times of crisis Public support for such Short term conflicts was usually not a problem. Since 1801. There have been some 200 incidents when the president has committed Active forces to action without seeking congressional approval. Most of those a a wars were naval landings for the Protection of . Citizens enforcement of Laws against piracy reprisals against aborigines various Caribbean interventions and the like. But in Vietnam the pattern fell apart. Both presidents Johnson and Nixon fell Back on their authority As commander in chief As their basis for waging War. With some minor exceptions the reserves were not mobilized primarily because both presidents were unwilling to pay the political Price such a mobilization would have entailed. We paid dearly for that departure from the traditional american Way of War. It was a mistake we would not make again. In the persian Gulf War albeit at the 11th hour president Bush did seek approval from Congress. The Reserve components were mobilized and once again played a major role in that conflict. Now that we have defined our terms what do they portend they show we have to have armed forces capable of fighting two kinds of War. Active duty forces give the president As commander in chief the capability to respond to immediate threats to . Security and provide the foundation for major wars As Well. Reserve forces provide the capability and sustainability necessary for the Long haul against major threats to our Well being. A lecturer in strategy and a distinguished fellow of the army War College. Col Summers ret is the author of the recently published Book on strategy ii a critical analysis of the persian Gutt War c los Angelos cmos