Posted on 02/09/2004 8:39:58 AM PST by Hon
Edited on 02/24/2004 2:29:42 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
John Kerry seems to have had a way of eluding the bad odor that clings to his old associates. On "Meet the Press" in 1971, he appeared with VVAW member Al Hubbard, a veteran who was exposed around this time for lying about his rank and combat experience (he had seen no combat). While this confirmed suspicions about the dubious identities of many of the winter soldiers, it didn't keep Kerry from becoming famous. The young politician was able to have his cake and eat it, too, becoming the establishment, patriotic face of a radical, anti-patriotic movement. Quite a trick, really.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/712ljiby.asp?pg=2
Islam is the best chance the poor of the planet have for any hope of decency in their lives. It is the one revolutionary force that cares about humanity..." - Ramsey Clark
;-)
Kerry's face enlarged. That's Kerry alright.
All these fraudulent people playing games for notoriety. Pretty sad.
Here are some facts. The VVAW pushed the agenda in their anti-war activities that Americans perpetrated atrocities in VietNam. (So if you were called a 'Baby killer', blame the VVAW). Al Hubbard, Executive Secretary for the VVAW blamed "The crimes against humanity, the war itself..." on America and our effort to keep communism out of America. (Al Hubbard claimed that he was a wounded in Viet Nam Air Force Officer. He was NOT an officer, not wounded, and did NOT serve in Viet Nam.) Cofounder, Jan Barry stated, "One cannot participate in the Viet Nam War without being at least in complicity in committing war crimes." Barry was NOT a combat vet, but did serve in VN. One time VVAW member Robert O. Muller, left the VVAW and started the VVA (Viet Nam Veterans of America). Muller, the President of the VVA accepted $500 from Jane Fonda for the organization. Muller stated, "It may seem unconscionable to you. I don't deal with membership. The only function I have with the organization is to raise money." The president of VVA, Robert Muller, stated on the Donahue show, "Phil, I think Jane Fonda epitomizes what being an American citizen is all about. It's involvement with what we're doing as a country, not only domestically but around the world. There is a woman who has taken a position that is based on principle and belief. Whether it's right or wrong is obviously for debate. She has gotten into the process, and has made a commitment to be a player. That is patriotism. A lot of Vietnam vets will respect the fact that she took a difficult position and she advocated the truth." In December 1981, Muller and a delegation from the VVA made a pilgrimage to Hanoi to meet with the Communist Government of Vietnam. Muller laid a wreath on Ho's grave inscribed, "With respect, from the Vietnam Veterans of America." A fifty-minute documentary titled, "Going Back:Return to Vietnam" ran on public TV. At the tomb of Ho, Muller stated, "You do have an immediate sense of respect, I can tell you that, too. Cannot help but have respect for the man." (Muller made many many anti-American statements while in North Vietnam, including saying America massacred hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese because they refused to give up their freedom.) Muller said, "I consider myself very much a patriotic American." (So does Jane Fonda Mr. Muller). In 1982 Muller returned to Hanoi for a second trip. Thomas A. Bird, cofounder of VVA also went to Hanoi. Bird claimed to be a POW from Viet Nam. It's all a lie. He confessed in 1985 that he lied about it, but still maintains a position in the VVA. Actually the list could go on for a long time. But I decided to present this much to you and by now you should be able to make up your mind to stay away from the VVA (Vietnam Veterans of America). If you are already a member, get out. Remember, joining the VVA is stating that Ho Chi Minh is someone you respect. Joining the VVA is agreeing that Jane Fonda "epitomizes what being an American citizen is all about.", and that you "respect that she advocated the truth". Not me, not ever. Ben Drake
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http://www.marine-family.org/vva/vva.htm
As stunning as his charges, Kerry insisted that the barbaric acts of American soldiers were not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command.
As evidence for his sweeping indictment of the American soldier in Vietnam, Kerry cited the testimony from the Winter Soldier Investigation. As Kerry explained: The term Winter Soldier is a play on words of Thomas Paine's in 1776 when he spoke of the Sunshine Patriots and summertime soldiers who deserted at Valley Forge because the going was rough.
The Winter Soldier Investigation, Mackubin Thomas Owens recently wrote in National Review Online, was, in fact organized by the usual suspects among antiwar celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Dick Gregory, and Kennedy-assassination conspiracy theorist, Mark Lane. Owensis a professor of strategy and force planning at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. He led a Marine infantry platoon in Vietnam in 1968-1969. He notes that Kerry's 1971 testimony includes every left-wing cliché about Vietnam and the men who served there.
Even worse, much of what Kerry said turned out to be demonstrably false.
Owens writes: In fact, the entire Winter Soldiers Investigation was a lie. It was inspired by Mark Lane's 1970 book entitled Conversations with Americans, which claimed to recount atrocity stories by Vietnam veterans. This book was panned by James Reston Jr. and Neil Sheehan, not exactly known as supporters of the Vietnam War. Sheehan in particular demonstrated that many of Lane's eye witnesses either had never served in Vietnam or had not done so in the capacity they claimed .
When the Naval Investigative Service attempted to interview the so-called witnesses, most refused to cooperate, even after assurances that they would not be questioned about atrocities they may have committed personally. Those that did cooperate never provided details of actual crimes to investigators. The NIS also discovered that some of the most grisly testimony was given by fake witnesses who had appropriated the names of real Vietnam veterans. Guenter Lewy tells the entire study in his book, America in Vietnam.
http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/vietnamcenter/events/1996_Symposium/96papers/lesson.htm
. Was the American antiwar movement important to Hanois victory? A. It was essential to our strategy. Support for the war from our rear was completely secure while the American rear was vulnerable. Every day our leadership would listen to world news over the radio at 9 a.m. to follow the growth of the American antiwar movement. Visits to Hanoi by people like Jane Fonda and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and ministers gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses. We were elated when Jane Fonda, wearing a red Vietnamese dress, said at a press conference that she was ashamed of American actions in the war and that she would struggle along with us.
Q. [Why] did the Politburo pay attention to these visits? A. These people represented the conscience of America. The conscience of America was part of its war-making capability, and we were turning that power in our favor. America lost because of its democracy; through dissent and protest it lost the ability to mobilize the will to win. While we need not attribute North Vietnams victory solely to domestic dissent in the U.S., we need to recognize that such dissent poses some unresolved issues. Clearly in a democracy, the government shouldnt be able to mold public opinion. Dissent against an unwise or immoral war is a necessary part of democratic society. In some way, however, it must be possible to counter dissent which involves collaboration with the enemy. We must not allow the enemy to intervene in our domestic politics, even under the guise of dissent. However, this issue has yet to be satisfactorily resolved.
http://www.geocities.com/seavet72/AW/ws-kerry.htm
http://www.geocities.com/seavet72/LI/link-1.htm#AWP2-6
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