Partisan Divide on Iraq Exceeds Split on Vietnam

The New York Times ^ | July 30, 2006 | ROBIN TONER and JIM RUTENBERG

[coconutt2000]

No military conflict in modern times has divided Americans on partisan lines more than the war in Iraq, scholars and pollsters say — not even Vietnam.

American Civil War?

[LeoWindhorse]

key words : modern times ;^)

[decal]

"No military conflict in modern times has divided Americans on partisan lines more than the war in Iraq, scholars and pollsters say."

What "scholars"? Which "pollsters"?

Ne need to read farther, we have an Agenda Piece here.

[coconutt2000]

Ah yes, missed those key words.

Vietnam is such a bad example of partisan division. It really wasn't until after the Vietnam war that partisan divisions over it became prominent. In fact, the partisan division caused by the Vietnam War is the current division plaguing our politics today. At least, that's the way it seems, with so many Vietnam era war protesters sitting wearing political hats these days.

[MJY1288]

"scholars and Pollsters say"

NUFF SAID!

[ChiMark]

This war on Iraq is totally different from VietNam.
The MSM has to go back to it's glory day when they rated as the fourth branch destroying the Americans and giving victory to the communists. We don't know how many Vietnamese, Cambodians etc. were slaughtered there after. Maybe 2 million? Great moral victory for the left


At this point leaving would reverse a great victory. So the postion of the left is to deliberately give Iraq to the Islamo-facists. Can you imagine Howard Dean...

[singfreedom]

in the historical sense the 1860's would be modern times!!

[coconutt2000]

No, its true. During the Vietnam war, partisan bickering over the war wasn't as pronounced as today's cat fighting over Iraq. But when the Vietnam War ended, many of the peaceniks grew up to become politicians, and now we're seeing the fruits of the Vietnam era's partisanship coming to roost.

It really is one long chain of causality.

[hsalaw]

This was previously posted, and is just as wrong now as it was then.

[Alexander Rubin]

Or academic. A lot of Canadian academics, in particular, are draft dodgers. We had about 100, 000 come and settle in Canada permanently. And many were educated and wealthy, and became profs.

In terms of relative impacts, imagine one million for America.

[LeoWindhorse]

I never cease to be amazed at utterly clueless and woolly minded so many of my fellow Americans can be . Either that or just plain cowardly.
I was in Thailand once and a Thai person ,discovering I was American , profoundly thanks my country for all our effort and sacrifice that we made in Vietnam and said that he knew very well that our efforts to confront Communism there bought time and preserved freedom for his own dear country. Thais know very well what the Communists did all around them !
If only all of our fellow Americans could share such realistic insights

[Howlin]

But when the Vietnam War ended, many of the peaceniks grew up to become politicians, and now we're seeing the fruits of the Vietnam era's partisanship coming to roost.

Exactly.

These are the same fools that tried to destroy this country back in the 60s; now they've grown up, gotten themselves into positions of power (probably at the NYT, too) and are back to finish her off.

[zarf]

How the hell can this thing be compared with Vietnam. Vietnam was a certified meat grinder for US forces. Not to minimize the efforts of our soldiers in the Iraqi theater but in terms of casualties Iraq is minor league compared to V.

Wow is the Times pushing hard.

[singfreedom]

Personally, I don't think any of the mentioned "experts" could have been alive during the Vietam War, or they couldn't possibly render such a flawed opinion---or they are up to the NYSlimes usual petty political prevarication.

[ansel12]

"During the Vietnam war, partisan bickering over the war wasn't as pronounced as today's cat fighting over Iraq. But when the Vietnam War ended, many of the peaceniks grew up to become politicians, and now we're seeing the fruits of the Vietnam era's partisanship coming to roost."



The WWII generation was much worse. All you have to do is to name the major figures of the anti-American, anti war movement.

Think Walter Cronkite,William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, Norman Mailer, Tom Robbins, and Hunter S. Thompson. While it is impossible to fully explain "the finger-snap change of a generation of dull caterpillars into a nation of gaudy butterflies,"

George Mcgovern was the anti-war Democratic Presidential candidate in 1972, not because kids supported him, but because grown ups of 25 and 50 and 75 supported him.

[ansel12]

"Many Americans believe that Canada played no part in the Vietnam War. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though the Canadian government tried its best to remain neutral, Canadians themselves became involved. It is believed that Canadian enlistment in the US Army during the Vietnam era far surpassed the 30,000 who fled as draft dodgers to Canada.


Canadians serving in the US military is nothing new. This occurred as far back as the Civil War. Forty Canadians have won America’s highest military award – the Medal of Honor.



When the US became involved in war with Vietnam, many Canadian men joined the US Armed Forces or allowed themselves to be drafted. Canadian Forces were being cut back and Vietnam allowed Canadian youth to join the US military where they would be taught skills that were not available in their own country.

[singfreedom]

Yes, and the Dims were just as outnumbered in that election as, I suppose, they are today.

I don't think most people in this country share the opinion that is generally expressed by the NYSlimes---meaning, of course, against the war. Some of them may not be pleased with the way it is being conducted, but I think most of them understand how important it is that we stay to win. The Israel/Hisbollah conflict has reminded them just how important the WOT really is.

[Mr_Moonlight]

The latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows what one expert describes as a continuing “chasm” between the way Republicans and Democrats see the war. Three-fourths of the Republicans, for example, said the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, while just 24 percent of the Democrats did. Independents split down the middle.

This is just way too ripe for disassembly! :)

First off, who is this one expert? Name some names, oh mighty NYSlimes. Secondly, the words "three-fourths .. Republicans" somewhat sorta equals 75%, which if given the same numerical treatment as the 24% Democrats number instead of putting it in fractional terms, would suggest that there is huge support amongst Republicans on the WOT ... then add in the so called "split" among Independents (no numbers given) and it would say that there is ample support by Americans for the WOT.

The Slimes is just grasping at straws here .......

[ansel12]

In the forties, fifties and sixties, people didn't know what was happening and had no institutions from which to fight.

Thanks to people like William F. Buckley, Ronald Reagan, and Newt Gingrich, and all the alternative media that has been created by conservatives, and the intellectual base created by conservatives like Charles Murray and Thomas Sowell, and a generation of teenagers that was seduced once, and are now in power (the dreaded boomers), the 60s won't be duplicated anytime soon.