Coulter sounds off in latest book

Yahoo & AP ^ | Wed Sep 24,12:27 PM ET | By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer

[IGOTMINE]

Cite source, please.

Also, how did the absentee vote break in Flordia during 2000?

[GoGophers]

"According to Moskos, while military officers indeed vote Republican, enlisted men and women divide their votes between the two parties. In a survey he conducted among 320 U.S. army soldiers in Kosovo in September, 32 percent described themselves as liberal, 44 percent as middle-of-the-road, and only 24 percent as conservative. Enlisted personnel outnumber officers 6 to 1. About 37 percent of the active-duty force is non-white."

Source: http://www.thegully.com/essays/america/001113absentee_ballots.html

[IGOTMINE]

Interesting. It has been a while since I've read Moskos...I'd be very interested to see his methodology on this survey.

I do note that he interviewed 320 soldiers...not Marines. There is a hugely different culture between the two services. My experience may also have been skewed since I was in a combat arms branch.

I also wonder how many of those military personnel who describe themselves as liberal are aware of the Democratic parties true record on defense and foreign policy issues. Ann does an excellent job in her book in highlighting their shameless cowardice and complicity with this nation's enemies. (And she does point out the FEW excpetions.)

[GoGophers]

I do note that he interviewed 320 soldiers...not Marines. There is a hugely different culture between the two services. My experience may also have been skewed since I was in a combat arms branch.

You are undoubtedly right about the culture and combat arms branch distinctions. I was Army and quasi-combat arms (instructor for a combat arms MOS).

[IGOTMINE]

"Coulter makes an argument that is overly simplistic and ignores some realities of the Cold War and post-Cold War eras."

Which "realities" are you referring to?

[Mr Rogers]

Ditto for my 20 years in the USAF...

I would add a few young enlisted who hadn't yet learned how the world works.

[GoGophers]

Which "realities" are you referring to?

The Cold War Consensus that existed from 1945 to the mid-1960s for starters. You did not see a lot of differences between Republicans and Democrats on foreign policy issues during that time period. Almost total support among Democrats for the war in Afghanistan would be another reality ignored by Coulter.

[IGOTMINE]

Coulter hardly ignores Kennedy and the others that stood the line against Communism during those days. I suggest you read the book before painting with the broad brush you accuse her of using.

As far as Cold War realities, how about the reality of the Democrats opposing Reagan at every turn as he fought to contain and ultimately defeat the Soviet Union? How about the reality of Democrats travelling to Cuba and extolling the virtues of Castro? How about the reality of Jim McDermott and that weasel from Michigan (Bonior) visiting Baghdad and sucking up to the vicious despot we removed from power? How about the realities of Democrats slashing defense and intelligence spending at every chance? The reality that Alger Hiss was a communist and had Roosevelt's ear? That the State Department was, in fact, rife with Soviet sympathizers and appeasers throughout the 50's and 60's.

You mention the mid-60's as the point where the foreign policy view of the Democrats and Republicans begain to split, and you're absolutely correct. It was during the mid-60's that the Red Diaper babies began to solidify their power in the Democratic Party. It's been a long, slow move to the left for them since then.

[GoGophers]

Coulter hardly ignores Kennedy and the others that stood the line against Communism during those days. I suggest you read the book before painting with the broad brush you accuse her of using.

Her argument (liberals are traitors because they always support America's enemies) falls apart when you consider the actions of the Democratic presidents and Democratic-controlled Congress during the first twenty to twenty-five years of the Cold War. The Democrats were just as anti-Communist as the Republicans.

As far as Cold War realities, how about the reality of the Democrats opposing Reagan at every turn as he fought to contain and ultimately defeat the Soviet Union?

Why did a Democrat-controlled Congress pass Reagan's defense budget?

How about the reality of Democrats travelling to Cuba and extolling the virtues of Castro? How about the reality of Jim McDermott and that weasel from Michigan (Bonior) visiting Baghdad and sucking up to the vicious despot we removed from power?

Individual members of the Democratic Party

How about the realities of Democrats slashing defense and intelligence spending at every chance? The reality that Alger Hiss was a communist and had Roosevelt's ear? That the State Department was, in fact, rife with Soviet sympathizers and appeasers throughout the 50's and 60's.

Why did the Democrats support our efforts to contain Communism?

You mention the mid-60's as the point where the foreign policy view of the Democrats and Republicans begain to split, and you're absolutely correct. It was during the mid-60's that the Red Diaper babies began to solidify their power in the Democratic Party. It's been a long, slow move to the left for them since then.

We agree on this point. However, the same Democratic Party supported the war in Afghanistan.

[chudogg]

The Cold War Consensus that existed from 1945 to the mid-1960s for starters. You did not see a lot of differences between Republicans and Democrats on foreign policy issues during that time period

China.

[chudogg]

Also keep in mind that the Roosevelt and Truman administrations were rife with Communist agents in the most upper level positions. This of course caused America to hand over Eastern Europe to Communist Russia as well as abandoning China to the reds.

You could argue that the Democrats were just stupid, but i would bet there was a large group of Democrats in the party at that time that were aware of this and was activily supporting it.

[IGOTMINE]

"Her argument (liberals are traitors because they always support America's enemies) falls apart when you consider the actions of the Democratic presidents and Democratic-controlled Congress during the first twenty to twenty-five years of the Cold War. The Democrats were just as anti-Communist as the Republicans."

You're confusing "liberals" with "Democrats". Also, what happened after the first 25 years of the Cold War? That would be about the time the Red Diaper babies came of age wouldn't it?

Surely you're not going to argue that American liberals, displaced communists, really, haven't been at the forefront of our struggle in the Cold War?

[IGOTMINE]

"Why did the Democrats support our efforts to contain Communism?"

That's the thrust of Coulter's book...the liberals DIDN'T support our efforts to contain communism. And honestly, how many Democrat congressman from, oh, say, 1972 on supported that part of our foreign policy? I can think of...well, let's see. Moynihan. Sam Nunn. Help me out here...

[GoGophers]

Also keep in mind that the Roosevelt and Truman administrations were rife with Communist agents in the most upper level positions.

How do you explain Truman implementing the policy of Containment and the Truman Doctrine?

This of course caused America to hand over Eastern Europe to Communist Russia as well as abandoning China to the reds.

We did not hand over Eastern Europe to the Communists. The Soviet Union "liberated" Eastern Europe and did not let go until 1989. Are you suggesting that we should have continued east and liberated Central and Eastern Europe? Americans would not have supported that bloodbath.

The Nationalists lost China to the Communists, not us.

[IGOTMINE]

doh! "forefront of opposing our struggle."

As far as Democratic President and defense budgets, were you in the Army during the Carter administration?

[IGOTMINE]

"We did not hand over Eastern Europe to the Communists. The Soviet Union "liberated" Eastern Europe and did not let go until 1989. Are you suggesting that we should have continued east and liberated Central and Eastern Europe? Americans would not have supported that bloodbath."

Potsdamn. Teheran. Alger Hiss.

[GoGophers]

That's the thrust of Coulter's book...the liberals DIDN'T support our efforts to contain communism.

But they did. Truman Doctrine and the policy of Containment happended on Truman's watch.

And honestly, how many Democrat congressman from, oh, say, 1972 on supported that part of our foreign policy? I can think of...well, let's see. Moynihan. Sam Nunn. Help me out here...

And yet they passed Reagan's defense budgets.

[IGOTMINE]

Truman sent the Army to Greece to check the commies there, threatened the Russians with the A-bomb if they didn't move out of Iran and committed us to war in Korea. Harry S. was about the last Democrat to hold that office that was worth a damn.

[GoGophers]

As far as Democratic President and defense budgets, were you in the Army during the Carter administration?

I am not that old (not there is anything wrong with that)! I was in the service from 1987 to 1991. Some of the senior NCOs did describe life in the Army during the late 1970s.

Of course, the last Carter budget did include a significant increase in defense spending.

[GoGophers]

Potsdamn. Teheran. Alger Hiss.

How would you have gotten the Soviets out of Eastern Europe without starting a war against the largest land army in the world?