We have fought what look like "wars” in Korea, Iraq and Yugoslavia — all on the president’s say-so, with little or no congressional involvement, least of all a declaration of war.

This is the precise opposite of the Constitution’s words, framework and intent.

Starting wars was supposed to be difficult. Defending the nation was supposed to be easy. Indeed, repelling attacks on our border is so important that both the legislature and president are given authority to do so.

But today, it’s considered perfectly normal that U.S. troops are fighting in 14 countries that most Americans couldn’t name, while our border is wide open.

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By the way, what, precisely, is the "military purpose” of building schools in Djibouti? How about building walls, schools, bridges, hospitals, roads and water purification systems in places like Vietnam and Iraq?

Our military did that!

The U.S. Navy Seabees and Army Corps of Engineers have built all kinds of non-military infrastructure in, among other places, Djibouti, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Somalia, the Congo, Cambodia and Grenada — even in little Micronesia (population: 100,000).

A couple of years ago, an American sailor who had just helped build a school in Ban Nong Muang, Thailand, was proudly quoted in Seabee Magazine: "My recruiter told me to join the Seabees. He said they build schools in foreign countries for kids.”

The U.S. military does these things in other countries but, we’re told, can’t build a wall in our own.

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