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Regarding Harry Truman?

Well said. Notwithstanding the bitter bile in an unnamed previous poster regarding Truman, the Truman presidency was a blessing in disguise, because if Roosevelt had NOT pushed Henry Wallace (an unabashed socialist and quasi-communist) out of the VP slot, America would probably be under the hammer and sickle right now.

Truman had the guts to use the atomic bomb, when others were trying to convince him not to use it. He also chose to make America the FIRST nation to recognize the newly reconstituted State of Israel, in 1948. That is nothing to take lightly. His decision regarding MacArthur was unfortunate, however as President, Truman knew something that MacArthur did not - that at the time MacArthur was pushing to invade Red China and expand the theatre of operations, America's total nuclear arsenal consisted of 13 (THIRTEEN) atomic bombs, and that was IT.

Those thirteen atomic bombs, mostly based upon the Nagasaki design, were the only thing we had that could stop a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, which was definitely a possibility while Stalin was in power. If America had chosen to fight a land war with Beijing over Korea, there would have been no way to stop the Soviets in Europe. Truman knew this. MacArthur did not.

Truman did not betray Nationalist China, far from it. He made it clear that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if Mao and his hordes attempted to invade that island. The fact that Taiwan still exists today proves that Truman's policy was the correct one. It was Carter who stabbed the knife into the back of Taiwan, not Harry Truman.

As for Eastern Europe, Truman didn't back down to the Soviets, and the Berlin Airlift proved that. We didn't abandon Berlin. We saved it from being strangled. But I don't need to defend Truman item-by-item, his record speaks for itself, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. Did he make mistakes? Sure. Name me one President who didn't, hasn't, or won't. Was Truman a man of his word, and a man of honor?

You bet your ass. These latter day historical de-constructionists who think they know everything (again, unnamed) make me want to puke.

He (Truman) made it clear that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if Mao...

Uh-huh. Except, that if HST didn't abandon Chang in the first place, there's be no reason nor need to 'defend Taiwan'.

And the baloney surrounding HST is like that of JFK "saving us" during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But it's never mentioned (except by Ann Coulter) that JFK CAUSED IT in the first place by showing zero resolve in stopping the spread on communism during a prior summit meeting with ole Nikita.

btw, it's not 'Bitter Bile'. It's utter disgust and hatred for a 4th rate political hack who sold freedom down the river.

I was looking back over this thread today, I have to admit that I just do not get the disdain for HST, he was not perfect, but so what?

The attitude about fighting the commies is also very surprising to me. Anyone who has talked to folks who were around back then (my Dad was one) knows that there was little enthusiasm for confronting the commies, even less for fighting them, they just wanted to go home!

Was that the right thing? Maybe in hind sight we should have duked it out with Stalin right then in Germany, as the Patton movie portrays. IMHO, anyone who thinks that HST or anyone could have convinced the American people, much less the Europeans, to engage in total war against the 400 divisions of the Red Army is just not dealing in reality.