To make the definition of swiftboating synonymous with "smears," "lies," and "innuendo" is to declare John Kerry's innocence. Once declared, one may conclude that it is the service of the Swift Vets that is tarnished, and that there may be some truth to Kerry's claims of heroism and charges of genocide in Vietnam. After all, both Kerry and the Swift Vets cannot be telling the truth. Whether explicitly, or implicitly with this newly created derogatory connotation of swiftboating, to declare Kerry's innocence is to do again to the Swift Vets in 2008 what Kerry and cohorts did to them in 1971.
Every time that a candidate today complains of being smeared by calling it swiftboating, he seeks the same exoneration or immunity that this redefined word gives to John Kerry, and, perversely, that candidate reinforces the false impression that the Swift Vets did something dishonorable in their campaign against John Kerry and in Vietnam years ago.
This clever manipulation of the meaning of words and its exoneration of John Kerry has much broader implications. In the 1970s John Kerry led a high profile movement that not only defamed American servicemen as crazed killers, but Kerry and his real "band of brothers" also successfully pushed policies that had truly genocidal consequences in Southeast Asia. To exonerate John Kerry is to exonerate his movement and all who participated in it for their role in the genocide. It is to whitewash all of them from the consequences of their actions...
Thanks for the ping.
Make no mistake about it - - Kerry will be back. Notice how quiet he’s been? I don’t know if he’s “endorsed” anybody yet but if he has, he sure isn’t enthusiastic about it. That’s because Kerry wants old McCain to win so that he, Kerry, can challenge for the Democrat nomination and the Presidency in 2012.
“Rewriting history” vis a vis the Swift Boat Vets is part of his plan. He’s just tidying things up.
Yep! He sure DOES get it.
Yes, he sees why the leftists are redefining “Swiftboat” and the consequences of letting them make their definition stick. This is semantic warfare, and the only defense against it is a continuing series of articles like this one.
real heroes do NOT talk about the war in RVN, much less about their part in it. (drunks spouting off at the VFW does NOT count.)
free dixie,sw
Thank you. That’s a great description of what Kerry and his dssemblers are up to, and why it would be a terrible thing on a number of levels, if he and they were to get away with it.
This subject needs to be taken out like an old rug, and the dust beaten off of it until Kerry is beaten into submission on the subject.
Alas, that need will probably continue until after Kerry’s death. Consumate leftist’s never die, as their heroics are rewritten until their fellow travelers “get it right” (by leftist ideological standards), and everyone old enough to know better has passed on.
Kerry’s antics have been revealed and documented. Eternal vigilance is all that remains between him and victory. May it remain there forever.
To exonerate John Kerry is to exonerate his movement and all who participated in it for their role in the genocide. It is to whitewash all of them from the consequences of their actions...
Hanoi John will find no exoneration from me.
My definition of “swiftboating” - to expose people for the liars and fakes they are by allowing truth to enter the political arena.
BTTT
The Left, knows - and appreciates - the power of words; which is why they are so good at imprinting their own 'false images' onto them. . .so as to manipulate public opinion. (Politcal Correctness, follows the same Lefist MO here; designed as it is, to change the way people think.).
Repubs have been challenged from the beginning; not to allow this one; but they were and still are; typically silent.
Maybe this, from Interesting Times will rise to the top; and be a 'cold-walter' wake-up call-to-action; to stop allowing this misuse of word; and it's abuse of the Swift-boaters themselves; all who risked a great deal to tell the the truth of John Kerry.
Thanks for the ping!