Former Navy secretary blasts Bush on Iraq

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | 30 August 2003 | DENNIS O'BRIEN

[usmc_chris]

Read Roger D. McGrath's article, Fire-Breathing Cowards, in this month's Chronicles for more on the neocon plague. McGrath is a history professor (I wrote my thesis for him years ago) and also a Marine Vietnam veteran.

[arete]

Will do, thanks.

Richard W.

[oh8eleven]

To dismiss Webb's comments and disparage his character without knowing the first thing about his experiences reveals a certain level of sophistication.

Actually, it reveals a lack of sophistication.
Semper Fi...

[gatorbait]

Hackworth have shown lots of moral courage of a type we desperately need.


You mean like abandoning his troops in the Nam and then fretting about alleged hit teams out to kill him? That Hackworth?

[gatorbait]

McGrath is a history professor (I wrote my thesis for him years ago) and also a Marine Vietnam veteran.

So is Charles Robb. So what?

[Spirited]

"You made a personal attack on a real American hero because you cannot refute what he said on the merits."

Ye gods! History being made. You have said nothing in your posts with which I can disagree!

We have cases here of "less-thans" throwing empty phrases at someone more qualified to have even an opinion than they will ever earn.

Funny how empty-headed loyalty is all that can be displayed by people of that ilk. Air-headedness fearfully disallows any contrary opinion no matter how qualified, disregards principled behavior and despises honor thus denigrating everything for which the America they claim to love and defend used to be known to illustrate.

What is considered desirable is Hitler/Stalinesque goose-stepping conformity Like typical liberals no individual thinking allowed only group-think tolerated and outside-the-box concepts are worthy of firing squad rewards.

I am opposed to the UN...period! I figure the highest-best thing for it is the utter failure we are witnessing. But one can envisage the reasons for which Webb is uttering that foul name.

One can choose to be emancipated enough to exercise the American freedom of honoring the opinion of another and disagreeing with the view (or some part of it) yet venerating the eminence of that individual.

[WhiskeyPapa]

BTW, Walt. How much do you think Webb is in the loop now days.

Perhaps not much at all. But that's not germane to my issue, which is people blasting someone simply because he says something they don't like.

Jim Webb is practically a poster person for success in this country. Naval Academy graduate, highly decorated in combat, severely wounded, financial success and critically acclaimed author, a man who resigned a powerful position due to --principle--. He's always been a hero of mine. Gosh, he's practically Lincolnesque. ;-)

Walt

[WhiskeyPapa]

North showed he could trash the Constitution and then call that a "neat idea."

Trash the Constitution? A little bit of an overstatement, don't you think? Ollie devised a clever work-around of the "pro-liberation movement" i.e. pro-Commie, Boland amendment. Now, let's discuss if the Boland amendment was in anyway constitutional.

Then why did the Reagan staffers do everything in secret?

Reagan's staff raised and spent money when the framers clearly wanted that power restricted to the Congress.

'nuff said.

Walt

[WhiskeyPapa]

Oliver North, a convicted felon,

No he is not. His conviction was overturned on appeal.

Alright, Oliver North is a convicted felon whose convictions -- three felonies, as I recall -- were overturned on appeal. That is not exactly the standard set by the Marine Corps when one hears "to keep our honor clean."

Oliver North is the worst kind of bum, and the fact that so many accept his glib lies are an indictment on the ability of many Americans to discern their civic responsibilies.

I try to stay on ground I can defend. When North was exposed -- when he had his "shredding party", the Commandant of the Marine Corps denounced the fact that he had been left at the White House for so long. The Marine Corps revoked all his retirement benefits the -day- he was convicted. The Marine Corps was -deeply- embarrassed by this bum.

That is the way I remember it. I was in the Marine Corps at the time myself.

Now, I don't have the quotes from CMC, or the references to show it now. It's all my recollection. But North betrayed everything the Marine Corps stands for.

Walt

[WhiskeyPapa]

Even after they did, he still wanted to keep his "colonization" commissioner, a clear indication he wasn't giving up on his pet program....

A clear indication that he was always willing to help his friends.

President Lincoln made public statements on things that he felt important, and colonization was simply not on the list after 1862.

Walt

[montag813]

The United States should quickly get the United Nations involved in administering and patrolling the country, he said.

Webb's experience as a veteran means sh*t. Look at George McGovern. Look at the cowardly ex-General Yitzhak Rabin. Military experience is no guarantee of political logic. Webb's statement above shows him to be a political imbicile.

[cinFLA]

Former vet, current pacifist.

pacifist. One who does not value his freedom.

[Phsstpok]

I just looked at your about page. I will give Webb's comments more credance than I would otherwise based on your assessment of his character.

I will, however, hold in reserve my judgement as to the accuracy of the news item or the balance of Secretary Webb's overall comments. I notice you're not standing up for the newspaper ;^)

[olliemb]

If the United Nations tooks over, who would the soldiers be? I believe the USA pays the most money to the United Nations and our troops would be the ones fighting. So why does this ex secretary think it a good idea for the United Nations to be in charge?

[olliemb]

President Bush has pretty good credentials as well.

[olliemb]

Webb might be all the good stuff you say, but we are not debating whether he has good credentials. We are debating whom do you believe. Quite frankly, I believe my commander in chief and think it silly to say the United Nations would do a better job than the USA. What are the credentials of the United Nations? They allow Libya to be in charge of human rights committee and they paid Saddam Hussein for oil but allowed Saddam to keep the money. They honor Castro. They have paid Arafat lots of money and still the Palestinians live in squalor and Arafats wife and daughter live in luxury in France. Sheesh-- So much for the United Nations credentials.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Gore served in Nam and agrees with Webb.

[olliemb]

Gore was a correspondent in Nam and stayed 4 months. I may be wrong but I don't think he actually fought. And, tell me once when Gore agreed with Bush. Am I supposed to be impressed with Gore agreeing with Webb? Two bads don't make a right.

I am sure you know that.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Right. The point is that the past accomplishments of Webb has little to do with his accuracy now. To dismiss him based on his credentials is as wrong as believing him solely based on his credentials. People change.

[Southack]

Mr. Webb is a former Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense, and full Committee Counsel of the U.S. Congress. He is also the award winning author of Fields of Fire and many other best selling novels on Vietnam and Asia.



Question 1. You recently published a new novel entitled Lost Soldiers. The book has now been out about three months. How has the reception been so far for the book and what led you to write this new book on Vietnam?

Answer: The overall reception for the book has been excellent, and among those who have a connection with Vietnam it's been incredible. This includes veterans, but also those who have visited or lived in Vietnam over the past ten years or so. I actually began writing the book in 1994, when I was first doing business inside Vietnam...