Fuck Vietnam!

[csberry]

I didn't give a shit about Clinton's letter to the ROTC guy and his going to England to avoid going to 'Nam.

I don't care about Bush's on-and-off work with the National Guard.

I honestly don't care too much about Kerry's service. He was over there for a few months. It's not like he's John McCain and is a hero. Nor does it bother me about Kerry's anti-war protesting after his service.

These three men did the same thing that a lot of other men did 30+ years ago. Some willingly went in, some went for Army-Lite, and others skipped out altogether. That is the story of the Baby Boomers.

But the damned presidential election shouldn't be about this kind of bickering. It should be focused on the bickering about the current war(s).

The media just can't help looking for a scoop and the partisans on both sides want nothing more than to help them.

Meanwhile, the American voters suffer from the mudraking by the press and the mudthrowing by the campaigns.

Comments

[outherelistenin.livejournal.com]

I can't bring myself NOT to care about Bush's desertion from the National Guard. I think it's because hypocrisy drives me so fucking crazy. Bush is asking far more of our armed services than they could have reasonably expected when they enlisted, and he's attacked Kerry's Vietnam record through surrogates. Now, if you call into question the medals won by one of our military officers, doesn't that, by extention, imply that all soldiers' medals are similarly questionable? That's an awfully large insult to the honor of men and women who have served honorably... and he has not.

This administration has been stunning in its hypocrisy in general, yet they are never called on it in the mainstream media, and I believe that hypocrisy speaks to the core of who they are and what they do. As a result, I care very much about the current "Bush was a deserter" stirrings in the media because I feel they're pointing out a Basic Truth all voters should be aware of.

[csberry.livejournal.com]

Bush is asking far more of our armed services than they could have reasonably expected when they enlisted

What did they expect when they enlisted...that they wouldn't actually serve a military purpose? Just serve time in an office or playing wargames on a military installation, then go free?

I do agree that his inability to get replacements to Iraq (thus lengthening the tours of soldiers) is irresponsible and a big indication of poor planning, but what exactly did you have in mind with that statement?

Now, if you call into question the medals won by one of our military officers, doesn't that, by extention, imply that all soldiers' medals are similarly questionable? That's an awfully large insult to the honor of men and women who have served honorably

No. Questioning specific cases doesn't question all cases. To say that all cases are beyond any questioning is also incorrect, but what's the point of questioning this whole medal thing anyway (thus the whole point of my post)?

Re: Media coverage...

I get frustrated with what they cover and how they cover it. Although Bush had a honeymoon of about 6 months after 9/11 with the press, I think the media has been more or less fair since then. He's been hit hard on some cases and he's been given the benefit of the doubt on others. Alas, it is the eternal "search for the scoop" that always seems to get them into trouble. Either they get a scoop about Iraq intell that shows mobile bioweapons labs or a scoop about one of the candidate's plans...only to eat crow when their "anonymous senior official" source was a goober and not Deep Throat.

Re: Hypocrites

If we kicked all of the hypocrites out of D.C., it would be a ghost town. When you live your life, you make mistakes or you get opinions that may not be mainstream. Once you step into the public realm, you have to deal with those past/personal views vs. public persona. Hypocracy is the obvious fallout of this transistion.

[peteydaddy.livejournal.com]

Amen!

[ex-allenb.livejournal.com]

Dude, you're so introverted. Don't edit yourself, don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.

[deutschetexaner.livejournal.com]

I must agree with you. I've never felt that service in the military gives an edge to be President. It really doesn't matter, nor does it affect the citizens of this country. I hate how both candidates are avoiding the issues at hand that are affected Americans from coast to coast. This is why I cannot support either of them. They are one in the same. Kerry and Bush oddly enough are two peas in a pod. At night they both remain wealthy and uncaring to the problems facing Americans. Their bickering further proves that huge chasm that exists between the two and the rest of America.

[bluevinylangel.livejournal.com]

Amen!

Uhm, what are the real issues surrounding this election? I've lost track of them in all the service-related mudslinging.