Steve points out the squishiness, Mack plays Devil’s advocate, and Anne declares war on Switzerland.

REFERENCES

The executive power shall be vested in a President:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S1.C1.1 Overview of Executive Vesting Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C1-1/ALDE_00013790/

President shall also be Commander in Chief of the armed forces:

Legal Information Institute. “Commander in Chief Powers.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commander_in_chief_powers

Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, like we all know:

Constitution Annotated. “Clause 11 War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/clause-11/

There’s this other part that says the President shall make sure that the laws be faithfully executed:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S3.3.1 Overview of Take Care Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S3-3-1/ALDE_00001160/

Other than, what is war:

Merriam-Webster. “War.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war

Going back to the Barbary pirates:

Office of the Historian. “Barbary Wars, 1801–1805 and 1815–1816.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars

In the Navy Act:

Bisno, Adam. “President Washington Signs the Naval Act of 1794.” March 20, 2019. Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/origins-of-the-navy/washington-naval-act-1794.html

The famous six frigates:

Naval History and Heritage Command. “U.S. Navy’s Six Original Frigates.” https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/original-frigates.html

Or an amendment later:

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. “An Act for the Protection of Commerce of the U.S. in the Mediterranean, Passed by the Senate February 1, 1802.” https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/artifact/act-protection-commerce-us-mediterranean-passed-senate-february-1-1802

The Law of the Sea:

National Ocean Service. “What is the Law of the Sea?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lawofsea.html

The U.N. Charter has a “you can act in self-defense”:

Codification Division Publications. “Chapter VII—Action With Respect to Threats to the Peach, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression.” United Nations. https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml

Armed conflict versus war:

Save the Children. “What is Conflict and War?” https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/conflict-war

When did we declare war on Vietnam:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Was the Vietnam War Technically a War?” https://www.britannica.com/question/Was-the-Vietnam-War-technically-a-war

Was there a formal declaration of war:

United States Senate. “About Declarations of War by Congress.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/declarations-of-war.htm

George H. W. Bush said he did not believe he needed that authorization from Congress to proceed because it was a United Nations action:

Keller, Kate. “An Unlikely Hardliner, George H. W. Bush Was Ready to Push Presidential Powers.” May 14, 2018. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unlikely-hardliner-george-h-w-bush-was-ready-push-presidential-powers-180969017/

Did Congress ever make a ruling on it:

United States House of Representatives. “House Passage of the 1991 Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force Against Iraq." https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail?id=35252

The Vietnam war doesn’t happen without Congress at some point voting for the money for it to happen:

Hughes, Ken. “The Myth That Congress Cut Off Funding for South Vietnam.” April 28, 2010. History News Network. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-myth-that-congress-cut-off-funding-for-south-v

A coalition of allies:

CNN Editorial Research. “Gulf War Fast Facts.” Updated July 24, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/gulf-war-fast-facts

You had the Quasi-War with France, which was kind of weird:

Office of the Historian. “The XYZ Affair and the Quasi-War with France, 1798–1800.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/xyz

They’re landlocked:

National Geographic Kids. “Switzerland.” https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/switzerland

They have the funds:

Taylor, Chloe. “The ‘Strongest Currency on Earth’ Just Hit an 11-Year High—and It’s Stirring Up Trouble in Switzerland.” Updated January 28, 2026. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/28/swiss-franc-us-dollar-price-fx-exchange-rate-trump-switzerland-snb-currency.html

That’s called portage, by the way:

Merriam-Webster. “Portage.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portage

Steve is correct, Switzerland is not in the showcase of nations at EPCOT:

Magic Guides. “What Are the Countries in EPCOT?” https://magicguides.com/countries-in-epcot-world-showcase/

Mack was closest. The executive branch of Switzerland is a Federal Council:

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft. “Political System.” https://www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch/en/political-system

They’re going to invade our ears with their jamming music:

https://youtu.be/oqVy6eRXc7Q?si=wu03olgks0y9i0-B

What is imminent?

Merriam-Webster. “Imminent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imminent

What is threat?

Merriam-Webster. “Threat.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat

Unless you’re a state, actually. Article I, Section 10, Clause 3:

Constitution Annotated. “Clause 3 Acts Requiring Consent of Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-10/clause-3/

I bring up Pearl Harbor:

Citino, Rob and Zemurray Stone, Samuel. “Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941

Again, Mack knew what he was talking about. Here are the specifics of the Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor:

Pearl Harbor. “This of the Japanese Striking Force.” June 3, 2017. https://pearlharbor.org/blog/ships-japanese-striking-force/

Did they just turn around and go back to Japan? Where did they go afterward:

Pearl Harbor. “Japan’s Plans After Pearl Harbor.” https://pearlharbor.org/blog/japans-plans-pearl-harbor/

In case you, also, were not alive for this event:

Hartig, Hannah and Doherty, Carroll. “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11.” September 2, 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/09/02/two-decades-later-the-enduring-legacy-of-9-11/

He gave the speech, “…the day that will live in infamy…”:

Library of Congress. “Speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York (Transcript).” https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1986022.afc1986022_ms2201/?st=text&r=-0.101,-0.296,1.111,1.327,0

Even during the Great Depression:

Richardson, Gary. “The Great Depression.” November 22, 2013. Federal Reserve History.

What are the President’s War Powers?