To: Enterprise
Were you around then,or are you just parroting what some party hack has said ?
Let's go to the videotape !
When WWII ended, the US had NO remaining atomic bombs. Its military forces had largely been de-mobilized, and the Russians were in position to help themselves to as much of Europe as they wanted.Truman was regarded as a rank usurper,trying to fill the shoes of FDR; and he was daily confronted with the problems of a left-leaning State Department.
The Media did not dislike him: they despised him because he was a party hack from the "backward" state of Missouri.The kindest things they called him were "ward heeler", and "Harry the Haberdasher".
The United States people were sick of war, wanted their sons and daughters home, and would have lynched anyone who suggested otherwise. As a result, there was only a skeleton crew of American troops in Korea: most Pacific theater troops being diverted to the spit and polish worship of General Mac Arthur in Tokyo.
In Europe, brave pilots, working around the clock, kept Berlin alive by airlifting essential supplies-food, coal,etc. - by direction of Truman. Truman also instituted the Marshall Plan, re-building Europe - to the consternation of the Russians and a solidly Republican Congress.
When war broke out in Korea, Truman made an understandable mistake : he appointed "Emperor Mac Arthur" to defend Korea-to the great joy of Mac Arthur's many admirers.
MacArthur should have been court martialled for gross dereliction of duty for his conduct of the Korean war.
He may have been a great hero during WWII, but he let his ego get in the way, and refused to give credence to solid intelligence of Chinese presence in Korea: splitting his forces-which were not given proper winter gear-to reach the Yalu River , in hopes of attaining an early victory he could turn into a Republican presidential nomination.Even after he was shown Chinese prisoners, he snarled abuse at his officers for "letting a few Chinese laundrymen stand in the way".
( If you want some first hand opinions on Mac Arthur, talk to a few of the Korean vets ! )
The firing of Mac Arthur -long, LONG overdue IMHO - was treated in the Media as if it were the death knell of the Republic...but it turned out not to be. Other generals picked up the gauntlet, and came pretty close to winning a victory; but, by then, the American public had had a bellyfull of war, and an outstanding Republican-Dwight D. Eisenhower went to Korea " to bring our boys home ".
Was Truman a great man ? Hell, no ! Did he do a pretty good job in spite of his limitations ? Yep. Did he hate the Communists and their "Liberal" fellow-travelers with a passion ? Again, yes; and no amount of revisionism will change that in my memory.
45 posted on
07/11/2003 9:06:42 AM PDT by
genefromjersey
(So little time - so many FLAMES to light !!)
To: genefromjersey
"Were you around then" I wasn't around during the Civil War but I believe the North won it. I dunno, maybe it is just some hack who told me the North won.
MI>"When war broke out in Korea, Truman made an understandable mistake : he appointed "Emperor Mac Arthur" to defend Korea-to the great joy of Mac Arthur's many admirers."
Then the stupid ass made a bigger mistake by firing McArthur instead of letting him win the war outright. Truman should have been impeached.
"Did he do a pretty good job in spite of his limitations
HELL NO
"Did he hate the Communists and their "Liberal" fellow-travelers with a passion ? Again, yes; and no amount of revisionism will change that in my memory."
Well, since you so passionately try to revise history, here is Truman in his own words to Henry Wallace in 1946 (From the book "Treason") - "Stalin was a fine man who wanted to do the right thing." Further, according to Coulter, he later wrote in his diary that the Russians "have always been our friends and I can't see any reason why they shouldn't be."
Truman liked to refer to Stalin as "Uncle Joe" BTW. Your revisionist view of Truman the Commie loving RAT is sick.
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