Comments on: OLC: “Look The Other Way” Doesn’t Count As Leadership

By: Leen

Leen — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:06:44 +0000

And if folks take the time to ask questions of the “greatest generation” who are dying off in droves one finds out that most of them stood against the invasion of Iraq. I talked with hundreds of WWII vets before the invasion, most of them were confused by the lies being repeated on the MSM but most of the Vets I talked with (some of them marching in the fall of 2002 and winter of 2003 at the anti invasion marches) knew that it was an unnecessary and immoral war.

Redfish I believe one of the strong points here is that those who have served in the military (I come from a big military family although have not served) know what is like to really put your own ass on the line. They want the reason that they are putting their lives on the line is as close to the truth and necessary as possible.

I have watched and talked with too many Vets who weep at the thought of many of our young soldier dying based on a “pack of lies”

By: Adie

Adie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:12:39 +0000

Please, too much. Steer your own ship. Nite.

By: redfish

redfish — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:21:02 +0000

What an interesting family background, you must be very proud of their bravery. As Tom Brokaw noted, it truly was the greatest generation and we owe our freedom to them.

By: redfish

redfish — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:18:32 +0000

Oh please spare me your holier-than-thou piety. You are defending someone who calls people chicken hawks and worse. I am not intimidated at all by your meaningless hyperbole or your judgment and I will continue voicing my opinion until the time you choose to censor or ban me. I think we are done now.

By: Adie

Adie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:08:48 +0000

p.s., you’ve been so busy with your [attack all comers] mode, i fear you haven’t the foggiest notion what I believe. Pity. I’m not going to share it with you now, while you are on all-warpath-alldedamtime track.

By: Adie

Adie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:03:52 +0000

Thank you for your compelling story.

This discussion, as I see it, is not over substantive fact and detail any more. It deals with respect, the need for civil discussion, and simple human decency in our dialogue over difficult issues.

By: Adie

Adie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:59:04 +0000

What you don’t understand is that as a liberal democrat that understands the value of a democrat in the white house and control of congress— I really, really resent…..

OMG you are apparently naive beyond my comprehension.

But then, I am admittedly an imperfect hoominbeen.

Essentially charging a total stranger encountered on the toobz with, “Or perhaps you served in Vietnam and have blood and your hands? Pray tell?”

Good gawd. Have you ANYTHING operable between your ears, much less in your heart?!

What an absolutely hideous charge to throw out into the ethers, on a whim perchance???

p.s., a bit of advice to you, as you appear never to have had cognizance of someone even remotely as caring as those you now attempt to smear:

Porcupines are rather stately, mind-their-own-bidness, good citizens in the wilds, hunting no one you’d recognize, harming no one without cause.
But, smack one upside the nose for no particular reason, and you can expect to have to remove a few quills from your own hide as a consequence.
or… wear them with pride. Your choice.

This is life. Grow up and respect the bluebirds, scorpions, porcupines and tigers in equal measure. This is a rapidly shrinking world. We need to TRY to get along, preferably without screeching at eachother. If you can’t do that, forget any other plans you may have had, unless you’re plugged into someone who provides them to you on a silver platter, perchance???

By: aardvark

aardvark — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:52:47 +0000

Joining the discussion late, my great-grandfather, at the age of 41, and with six children at home, enlisted in the British Army on the Monday after his brother was killed the Friday before at the front. The man who would become his son-in-law, my grandfather, lied about his age to join the British army, and by the age of seventeen had been over the top more than once. My father was a P-51 pilot in WW-II, and attempted to re-enlist as a pilot for Vietnam in 1963. So, I don’t come from a family of pacifists. I was in the last group who got student deferments in the Vietnam era. I have no regret about taking a pass on an ill-advised and stupid war.

I am with Redfish. Afganistan is not Vietnam; as stated, not even close. And I too support Obama’s policies there. That Bush blundered so completely in not completing what might have been completed does not render that all is lost there.

By: redfish

redfish — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:27:01 +0000

Not that I am obligated to answer you but I will. I had a lottery number during the Vietnam war and I burned my draft card at a demonstration in Washington Square Park. I was prepared to go to Canada or jail; there is no way I was going to go to Vietnam and kill people that never attacked us. They ended the draft before I was called.

Afghanistan is not Vietnam, not even close, and I have every right to support Barack Obama’s policy there, regardless of whether I served in the military or not.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:19:17 +0000

so that would be a “no.”