Posted on 04/03/2005 10:00:59 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
Vietnam in Iraq: Bush insanity theory-by Wayne M. O'Leary
The Domino Quagmire - by Wayne M. O'Leary found readers of CommonDreams.org -News and views for the Progressive Community - Portland, Maine. "CommonDreams.org is a "must" in my life and work" says Bill Moyers.
Ending Tyranny and All That by Wayne M. O'Leary - O'Leary writes:"God to Bush: "What are you doing?" Bush to God: "I'm changing the world." God to Bush: "And you started with Iraq?!"
"It's funny and at the same time it isn't, because this president really does mean to change the world. What the world thinks about it is pretty much irrelevant, as is the opinion of the American public at large."
Wayne M. O'Leary did once bio his Special to The Progressive Populist columns with: " a research associate in history at the University of Maine in Orono, more recent: "Orono writer...". Besides writing for the Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. Portland, ME; his articles appear across the net for "Progressive" political thinkers - just "an Orono (ME) writer specializing in politics and economics".
The reviewer has failed to include "Vile France" by Denis Boyles.
Effete Snail Eating Sniveling Maine Lumberjack Bump
Agreed. Another point is that if their Generals share the attitude of war as being futile, then we can understand why they tend to lose and surrender rather than fight for their own nation. Quickly, without looking on the 'net, name a famous French General since WW2 (other than DeGualle and LeClerc).
Ever since the XYZ Affair, the perfidy of the French has been manifest.
That's absurd. Years of diplomacy, warnings, UN resolutions, and economic sanctions preceded the war.
And even in Nam, we had to go in and clean up after the French. We support their military moves (however laughable they are) Our own liberals over here are why we failed then. We never lost a major battle over there. The Left defeated us then, and hold it against us today!
Who is LeClerc?
oui, oui.
good post.
He conflates history to develop his point. In particular, he makes no distinction betwen 1980 and 2005. Early on Bush wanted smart sanctions on Iraq. European refusal to cooperate is what pushed us to war.
"Going to war without France is like going hunting without your accordian"
Or for that matter, name a victorious one.
I fart in France's specific direction.
"I fart in France's specific direction."
LOL! Too funny!
Before we classify Timmerman as a conservative hack, let's check some facts. I used to subscribe to Foreign Affairs until they, in all seriousness, proposed a global minimum wage, so don't overrate its "prestige". As to the "salacious" characterization of Jesse Jackson as a con man in "Shakedown", check out the well documented history of corporate extortion by the Rainbow Coalition, this at the behest of the man who has proclaimed that "Dr. King died in my arms in Memphis", an outright, proveable lie. Jackson was in Memphis, but he fo' shore was not on that balcony. More recently, note his ever-so-effective timing jumping into the Schiavo matter. Didn't even go through the civil disobedience formality of forcing an arrest, must have been late for a meeting with somebody's bagman.
Yes the French were invaluable in our revolution, but I doubt any credible historian would claim they would have invested a sou in our behalf absent the motive to poke a finger in Britain's eye, which they lacked the naval prowess to do back home. As further evidence of their heartfelt dedication to freedom in the New World, see French and Indian War, a terrorist operation before the term had been invented, then look at what they did with their own murderous revolution shortly after ours. Seldom has so much conceit been accompanied by so little substance. So sorry, the French operate in no one's interest but their own, and that mostly incompetently. See Louisiana Purchase, Maginot Line, or their only aircraft carrier, the Degaulle, which is safest tied to the dock.
Why did the French plant trees along the Champs Delysee? So the Germans could march in the shade. Forgive my spelling, it ain't worth looking up to get it right. I refuse to study a language in which Fido can be spelled Phydeaux.
In bookstores now are at least two accounts of our purportedly harmful interactions with France over the years, both serving to denigrate the historic French-American friendship. The titles tell it all. There is "The French Betrayal of America" by Kenneth R. Timmerman (Crown Forum, 2004), a journalistic "expose" of France's supposed efforts to undermine the U.S. war on terror; and "Our Oldest Enemy: A History of America's Disastrous Relationship with France" by John J. Miller and Mark Molesky (Doubleday, 2004), a very selective survey aimed at proving the French have always been obstructionist rivals rather than true allies.
LeClerc was the highest ranking Free French field general in WWII. He led the first troops into Paris-although it took some machinations to ensure his unit of Frenchmen got to the right place on time. That said, he and DeGaulle were real men as were many of the French resistance fighters. Their culture has changed and so have their men.
They have men? Then why do they need a foreign legion?
That was more of a bite at humor... Glad to know others know their stuff though :p
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