Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[lemming]

Zeev,

(Your quote: "why should I believe that what is being presented now as "truth" is nothing but the result of faulty 30 plus year old memories coupled with deep political division resulting in real hatred.")

The mention of the word Auschwitz brings back bad memories coupled with deep political division resulting in real hatred. Auschwitz took place twice as long ago as Vietnam, yet I would never question those memories, neither would I ridicule a Jew's anger over the Holocaust. Nor would hold in contempt those who questioned the logic in Kurt Waldheim's 1992 candidacy for President of Austria, after his involvement in the Nazi's war attrocities in Yugoslavia were widely made known.

Even though Vietnam does carry the gravity of the Holocaust, I do not see a problem in what the Swiftboat Veterans are doing.

If I were serving in Vietnam and someone who was discharged after only 16 weeks duty called me a war criminal before Congress and gave my enemy ammunition to use against me and my buddies in some Vietcong POW rats nest, I would probably be pretty angry, too. Wouldn't you?

I would probably be furious when he decided to run for public office and fuming when he became a Senator. However, when he became a candidate for commander in chief, I think I would draw the line, too.

I agree that the Swiftboat Vets were probably very angry and felt that their best course of action was to tell their opinion of John Kerry to prevent someone who underminded the military from controlling the military.

That being said, do the Swiftboat Veterans hold a candle to the anger expressed by many Democrats (groups and individuals) against President Bush for 2-3 solid years now?

(Your quote: "Whatever differences you may have with Kerry philosophy, you should laud his efforts in the early seventies to shorten the Vietnam war and thus drastically reduce the senseless dying of our own young men and thousands of Vietnamese civilians.")

Many of our soldiers "senselessly" died in Vietnam because it was a war they were not allowed to win. John Kerry was a contributor to our not being allowed to win, and therefore he was a contributor to the "senselessless" of our men's deaths.

Incidentally, do you have any idea how to find out how many civilians die annually in Vietnam today?

-David

P.S. - My guess is that if Kerry does win, we can count on a draft; officers will be resigning and enlisted soldiers will be leaving the ranks in droves. That will be their "protest".