Fast Forward to the Present, End Fighting over Vietnam

[Dancing_Dave]

"Fast-forward to the present: End fighting over Vietnam

John Kerry wanted to make his service in the Vietnam War the focus of his run for the presidency. Now it is — but hardly the way he had hoped.
An escalating furor over what the Democratic nominee did in Vietnam 35 years ago is eclipsing a more important national debate over what he would do about a real-time war in Iraq.

While Kerry is crying foul now, he invited the superheated scrutiny by making his war record the cornerstone of his campaign. He mentioned it at virtually every appearance and saluted last month's Democratic National Convention in Boston with the opening line, "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty."

His strategy is understandable. Highlighting qualifications as a wartime president may be a political imperative in a post-9/11 world. But it carries obvious risks by reopening old wounds about a war that still bitterly divides the nation."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-08-23-third_x.htm

[RobertSeattle]

1. Huge Fog Bank over Alabama - 1972-1973 too

But we know what was fogging up Bush's brain.

[mike_c]

2. I don't give a rat's buttocks about who was braver or more...

...macho during the Vietnam war. I want to know who has the courage to face the facts about the shameful occupation of Iraq-- and who has the guts to prosecute the war criminals responsible for the invasion!

[young_at_heart]

5. Unfortunately, image and "macho-ness" are important to many

Karl Rove has worked very hard to make Bush a macho guy. Facing facts is not on their agenda.....winning at all costs is!

[heidler1]

9. Yes, but Kerry did stand tall for getting out of Vietnam. This would tend

to make Kerry more apt to clearly see the stupidity in the Iraq War.
The political question is if he right now freely addmited that was his view would he be more apt to beat Bush? Dean and Kucunich did just that and both had very devoted followers, but neither could convince enough Democratic primary voters to beat Kerry. True, niether could those who were blatently in favor of the Iraq invasion. At this point in time Kerry must be moderate on this key issue. If he isn't it's four more years of Bush. At the time that Kerry spoke out about the stupidity of Vietnam I believe the polls showed about 60% also thought it was stupid.

[Born Free]

3. It's a question of character

The bush team has made this a character issue, the only way out now is to smoke bush out of hiding so the American people can compare the character issue of the two men side by side with full military record disclosure. It's time bush stands up like a man and stops hiding behind other that do the dirty work.

[mike_c]

6. it's time BOTH candidates stop trying to out-do one another's...

...performance in another immoral war fought for dubious reasons. This is shameful. You're right-- it IS about character, but this display isn't making either of them look like anything but posturing fools. The Vietnam war ended 30 years ago. The presidential candidates need to start talking about TODAY'S foreign policy misadventures, not stay mired in Vietnam.

[Voltaire99]

4. USA Today: Forget Vietnam! It never happened!

Dredging up the ghosts of Vietnam only haunts us anew.

So says the tribune of the corporations, which profited from Vietnam and now profit from Iraq.

USA Today's pallid editorial continues: The candidates and the public need to move on and address how to end a conflict in Iraq before it becomes another war that tears at the nation's fabric.

Only a fool counsels readers to forget the past when trying to address the future. The newspaper says "end a conflict in Iraq," not "withdraw from Iraq." Like the neo-cons and neo-liberals who are increasingly inseparable, it envisions plenty of cheap Iraqi oil will be ours once we simply come together to "end the conflict," which is how polite centrists speak about extermination.

[moran4change]

7. The only people who are reopening old war wounds

are the republicans. They're fixated on Kerry's service record to distract the press from focussing on what bush has done since he was appointed president. Assholes.

[newyawker99]

13. Hi moran4change!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[EEgrad2003]

8. Is it just me...

but when has the conflicts of the past become the measuring tape for the performance of this country? Regardless of whether or not the awards were thrown or earned, this country is NOT being ran effectively. School systems are not being funded properly, people are losing out on money and jobs that were there before this jerk got in office, and all people can talk about is how Kerry didn't really earn his medals in Vietnam?? Does the fact that he earned his medals or not REALLY have anything to actually do with why the economy is doing sooooo bad and why the power of the US dollar is diminishing??

[jmcgowanjm]

10. People are going to learn History one way or another

The war in Iraq tipped off China and Europe that the U.S. plans
to monopolize all of the oil. Of course, for the time being the
oil will be sold on the open market, but the United States
would be in control of it. That would enslave the rest of the
world. Bummer, but we blew it, and instead of
becoming stronger, we are becoming weaker in the
Persian Gulf. Iran is talking to China and is ready to trade oil
for missiles. Saudi Arabian princes, more stooges betrayed,
are now also dealing with China for oil. Iraq won't be
pumping much soon, for the war and sanctions have
severely damaged their fields. Russia, second in oil exports
to Saudi Arabia, met secretly in Moscow with France
and Germany just before the war began. They are all not
so friendly to us now. And there are rumblings of instability
(bad for the oil business) everywhere in the Middle
East, including in the territory of our best friend, Kuwait.
There's going to be a shortage of oil and we might not be
in control. Panic time! We can't withdraw from Iraq. That would
be the end of our power in the Middle East. On the other
hand, we are bleeding to death there with no possibility
of dominating the region. What are we going to do? Any
ideas? Mr. Bush? Mr. Kerry? Why do I always see the same
old hands? Does anyone else have any
ideas?

In truth, the political class, intent upon its class war, has lost
its way and the United States wastes its substance in
atrocious adventures its freaky incompetent leaders hatch
in darkness.

http://www.swans.com/library/art10/mdolin03.html

[Uber Es]

11. Willie Horton Vets for Bush!!!!

:smoke: Haven't we all heard this shit out of the bastards in every
single election since RR? Any American that believes this to be any
thing else than a smear job by the same swine that brought you the
Willie Horton adds, is delusional, and deserves everything that comes
their way if the NSDAP steals the election again.
My Aunts, grandson just arrived in Bagdad this week. She told
me she is voting for Kerry now. Wouldn't it have been great, if it
didn't take her Grandson at the Front to open her eyes? I couldn't help
but remind her to be sure to vote for GWB again, and maybe all of her
Grandchildren will be sent to Iraq. I then told her she has only herself
to blame, because of course she voted republican last election. She said
I was a bastard, but I was a correct bastard, all along. Now she regrets
her support for the entire war, and crys and prays. I don't feel sorry
for her. I feel sorry for her Grandson. She said her vote really did matter
after all. If he doesn't come home alive she will kill herself
she says. I told her it would be easier to vote Kerry/Edwards, and hope
for the best. There is no joy in this kind of victory for me.
Yes it would be great if the mainstream press would stop being so phoney,
and cover the war in Iraq. But what can you expect from corporate pigs?
Peace doesn't sell. Americas better vote for Kerry, and demand and
end to this deadly kinderspiel. We are playing with fire in NaJaf.
If the Shia's blow up that Shrine, and blame it all on the US Army,
we will have about 15 million pissed off Shia's.Lets see,150 thousand
US troops against 15 million pissed off Shia's, do the math.
Pompous rants of "bring it on" will haunt us for decades to come,if
we don't get our children out of there. I fear the worst is yet to
come in Iraq. No specific data, just a sick feeling that won't go away.

[newyawker99]

14. Hi Uber Es!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Cocoa]

12. this is not "scrutiny"

this is LIES.

And they would have come whether Kerry invited them or not.

If Kerry hadn't been talking about Vietnam, USA today would be asking what he was hiding.