Changes

Next came Romania, which had been ruled for decades by the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.  Massive demonstrations against his rule in December 1989 caused the army to join the people, and they captured Ceausescu as he attempted to flee with his wife.  They were executed on Christmas Day; the timing suggests that the revolutionaries were perhaps not any better.  But at least free elections began in 1990.

Next came Romania, which had been ruled for decades by the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.  Massive demonstrations against his rule in December 1989 caused the army to join the people, and they captured Ceausescu as he attempted to flee with his wife.  They were executed on Christmas Day; the timing suggests that the revolutionaries were perhaps not any better.  But at least free elections began in 1990.

Ceausescu opposed abortion, unlike most communists.  The ban on abortion there had helped avoid many of the health problems caused by abortion.  Romanians had the lowest incidence of women's breast cancer in the Western world, far lower than the United States.  In 1990, American families rushed to Romania to adopt babies who were available for adoption there.  But after Ceausescu was overthrown and abortion were legalized, Romania began promoting abortion.  The abortion-related health problem of breast cancer then skyrocketed, and there were no more babies available for adoption by Americans and others.

Ceausescu opposed abortion, unlike most communists.  Ceausescu’s ban on abortion there had helped avoid many of the health problems caused by abortion.  Romanians had the lowest incidence of women’s breast cancer in the Western world, far lower than the United States.  In 1990, American families rushed to Romania to adopt babies who were available for adoption there.  But after Ceausescu was overthrown and abortion was legalized, Romania began promoting abortion.  The abortion-related health problem of breast cancer then skyrocketed.

The collapse of the communist dictatorship exposed underlying ethnic and religious conflict, particularly in Yugoslavia.  Its dictator, Marshall Tito (real name Josip Broz), ruled with an iron fist from 1945 to 1980, and the different ethnic groups could not fight each other as he suppressed all conflict.  He also insisted on some independence from the Soviet Union, and Stalin expelled him from the Soviet bloc in 1948.  Tito was succeeded in power by the Serb Slobodan Milosevic, which caused Slovenia and Croatia to seek independence due to their different ethnicity.  In June 1991, the Yugoslavian army attempted to suppress these independence movements.

The collapse of the communist dictatorship exposed underlying ethnic and religious conflict, particularly in Yugoslavia.  Its dictator, Marshall Tito (real name Josip Broz), ruled with an iron fist from 1945 to 1980, and the different ethnic groups could not fight each other as he suppressed all conflict.  He also insisted on some independence from the Soviet Union, and Stalin expelled him from the Soviet bloc in 1948.  Tito was succeeded in power by the Serb Slobodan Milosevic, which caused Slovenia and Croatia to seek independence due to their different ethnicity.  In June 1991, the Yugoslavian army attempted to suppress these independence movements.

The conflict in Bosnia caused the United Nations (U.N.) to send troops, including American soldiers, into the region in 1995.  Michael G. New was an American soldier who objected to wearing United Nations insignia as part of his military uniform during a deployment to the nearby Republic of Macedonia as part of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force.  Michael New objected to changing his allegiance from the United States to the U.N.  When Michael New enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1993, he took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution and no recruiter or officer mentioned serving under U.N. command.  

The conflict in Bosnia caused the United Nations (U.N.) to send troops, including American soldiers, into the region in 1995.  Michael G. New was an American soldier who objected to wearing United Nations insignia as part of his military uniform during a deployment to the nearby Republic of Macedonia as part of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force.  Michael New objected to changing his allegiance from the United States to the U.N.  When Michael New enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1993, he took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution and no recruiter or officer mentioned serving under U.N. command.  

But on May 3, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive 25 (PDD-25).  This ordered submission of American troops to multilateral peace operations.  In July, Michael New was assigned to Germany, 3rd Infantry Division, and his company was told it would be sent to Macedonia as part of a "peacekeeping" mission.  In August 1995, Michael New was informed that his unit must wear part of the U.N. uniform.  Soldier New’s position was that the order was unlawful and unconstitutional.  Specifically, U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 9 prohibits any person’s acceptance of any emolument from a foreign state without congressional consent.  New also argued that the entire deployment as part of a United Nations force was unlawful.  

But on May 3, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive 25 (PDD-25).  This ordered submission of American troops to multilateral peace operations.  In July, Michael New was assigned to Germany, 3rd Infantry Division, and his company was told it would be sent to Macedonia as part of a “peacekeeping” mission.  In August 1995, Michael New was informed that his unit must wear part of the U.N. uniform.  Soldier New’s position was that the order was unlawful and unconstitutional.  Specifically, U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 9 prohibits any person’s acceptance of any emolument from a foreign state without congressional consent.  New also argued that the entire deployment as part of a United Nations force was unlawful.  

The military judge and American courts all rejected New’s arguments and held that the legality of the deployment was a "non-justiciable" political question that could not be handled by a judge, and which could only be handled by a political branch of government (such as Congress or the President).

The military judge and American courts all rejected New’s arguments and held that the legality of the deployment was a "non-justiciable" political question that could not be handled by a judge, and which could only be handled by a political branch of government (such as Congress or the President).