Posted on 12/02/2008 11:37:36 AM PST by Postman
“Richard Nixon did not even know about the break-in, and when he learned of it, he committed the terrible sin of displaying loyalty towards those who served under him. His ‘Enemies List’ was a list of political opposition members whom he didn’t care to invite to parties (Ooh, not inviting them to parties- how McCarthy like!).”
I think it should be noted that as “imperial” and power-mad as Nixon is made out to be, he governed as a pretty solid liberal. In tough economic times he stepped in with heavy-handed wage and price controls, he opened diplomatic relations with communist China, he pulled out of South Vietnam without any assurance that it would survive, he expanded the regulatory industry with the EPA and others, etc.
All that being said, nixon was from an age when politicians could still be gentleman. He backed off in the face of evidence that Kennedy at least partially stole the election (something Al Gore was too small to do), and he stepped down when it seemed inevitable that Congress would drag his name through the mud for trivial crimes (something Clinton was too small to do).
“For example, I like both JFK and China Syndrome as films, although I don’t accept their premises one iota. In fact I can view both as rather evil propoganda but I enjoy the films.”
I can understand your point about “The China Syndrome.” But “JFK,” in my opinion, was too ridiculous to love. The ostensible plot of the film, Garrison’s struggle for truth and justice, was so subsumed by the case itself that it might as well not have existed. We were left with Stone’s one thousand and one theories, and without years of conspiracy buffs poisoning the public’s mind no audience would ever have sat through them.
For me, at least, the entire movie played like a sophomoric polemic, even less reliable than a Michael Moore movie. The point being, if Stone was the filmmaker he’s made out to be, he’d have wooed us with manipulative stories and characters, keeping the nutty to a minimum. Imagine “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” with a few clips of the Zapruder film mixed in.
The only point I disagree with is over Vietnam. He bombed them to the table, then successfully conducted the “Vietnamization” of the war. The South Vietnamese were more than capable of defending themselves at that point.
Then the Democrats criminalized standard political behavior and drove Nixon from office, at which point they cut off aid to Vietnam, who couldn’t fight without supplies. The bastard Democrats wouldn’t even allow medical supplies.
“The only point I disagree with is over Vietnam. He bombed them to the table, then successfully conducted the “Vietnamization” of the war. The South Vietnamese were more than capable of defending themselves at that point.
Then the Democrats criminalized standard political behavior and drove Nixon from office, at which point they cut off aid to Vietnam, who couldn’t fight without supplies. The bastard Democrats wouldn’t even allow medical supplies.”
I didn’t mean to condem Nixon for the fall of South Vietnam so much as highlight that Nixon gave the libs exactly what they wanted. He pulled out, and never gets credit for it.
I have to agree with you that JFK is completely over the top, and in such cases the movie risks becoming a parody of itself. For me it worked, just as I like Kevin Costner in the movie and he is a hit and miss actor. I can see how someone could just find the movie absurd.
LOL, you guys need to get over your BDS.....your messiah has come to rule you....be happy!
Not if you had heard his comments over the past eight years.
Oh...I do not deny it...I have not paid any real attention to him. Quite frankly he was low on the radar. Its revealing to see how much smack he has talked in the past decade as I look tohrough comments made by him.
Yep.
I take the Lewinsky trial as evidence of the same pattern of behavior that was used to silence the investigations into the other scandals. It is difficult to convict when there is perjury, destruction of evidence, and some refuse to talk (even going to prison to keep from talking).
I’ll repeat, forget the economic “crisis”, this country has a rather PROFOUND mental health crisis on it’s hands.
What Nixon essentially did was to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of a third-rate burglary.
a-a-n-n-n-n-d???
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