General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If Trump ordered a nuclear missile attack on North Korea would the military carry it out? [View all]jberryhill
(62,444 posts)The President is the Commander In Chief.
Our system is expressly designed to place ultimate authority over military action in the hands of a civilian.
Limitations such as the War Powers Act, etc., give the president a free hand in initiating military action. These limitations were intended not to bog us down in an unwanted foreign adventure for a prolonged period, but certainly do not limit the president's discretion to act in what he or she alone perceives as an imminent threat or action.
The absence of deliberations is itself part of the deterrence doctrine. With deliberations of defined parties, there can be a decapitation attack in which communications or individuals in the chain are disrupted, and command and control is taken out. From the match that lights the fuse to the black box, the system is designed to be an ultra reliable and secure method to vest that power in one pair of tiny hands.