Word: kneejerk
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Powers Act was a kneejerk response by Congress to the unilateral decisions of Presidents Johnson and Nixon to involve the U.S. military in Vietnam. The Congress was only involved to a limited extent--passing the Gulf of Tonkin resolution which helped legitimize Johnson's and Nixon's actions as constitutional. For the most part, though, the legislature had no effect on presidential initiatives...
With the typical kneejerk reaction characteristic of American defence policy, the past and present Administrations have supported the 10 warhead 70 It, leviathan MX because the Soviets have weapons even larger. Instead of thinking beyond the Soviets clumsy and weak nuclear doctrine, our leaders copied it and at huge expense. Bigger is not better and more destructive weapons no longer alter the "balance of terror"; they only make the "rubble bounce...