February 18, 2007
The image of President of the US as 'Commander-in-Chief' riding roughshod over American voters evokes Napoleon. Some take the image of 'Napoleon in the White House' seriously. The President as Commander-in-Chief stands for civilian control of the military on the grounds that “war is too important to be left to the generals.” I guess the image evokes a quasi-dictatorial authority.
NIck Anderson
I presume the Americans do not have the power to fire the Commander-in-Chief. However, I though that the US Constitution gave the war making power to Congress. The Bush Administration has been so insistent on maximizing executive authority that the other branches must now check the President.
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