Enough old war stories from self-serving boomers

Indy Star ^ | 2/13/04 | Ruben Navarrette

[qam1]

DALLAS -- It's as if common sense has gone AWOL from the presidential campaign.

Some media players and Democratic Party operatives are painting President Bush as nothing less than a deserter amid questions about whether he fulfilled his obligations to the Air National Guard 30 years ago.

[qam1]

Xer Ping

Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social aspects that directly effects Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1980) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.

Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details.

[xrp]

Right on...Gen X and younger couldn't care less about Vietnam. Suck it, boomers!

[Think free or die]

Good article. While I'm of the boomer era, I'm from the latter part, and I am also weary of much of what I've heard and seen from my older brother and his cohort for these many years. The movement of that group through our economy and society is like a rat swallowed by a python. It distorts all sense of normal proportion, including taxes, spending, employment opportunity, housing prices, etc. Not all boomers have had the same experience of this era. I came out of college to face stagflation, malaise, Three Mile Island, gas lines and disco. Jimmah Cahtah and Ronald Reagan had a greater impact on my early adulthood than did Vietnam, Woodstock, or Camelot.

I don't entirely agree with the writer with respect to the relevance of Vietnam. While the Vietnam War is certainly not the prism through which I view the world, I do consider it relevant to this election. In looking at the candidates, I think it worthwhile to look at how they conducted themselves during that period and how it has shaped them as future leaders. For Kerry to have returned from the war and conducted himself in a way which undermined the soldiers he left behind in Vietnam shows an appalling lack of character. The fact that he has never repudiated those actions tells even more about his character. His actions since 9/11 are consistent with those of the young Kerry. His willingness to send young soldiers to war coupled with an unwillingness to budget properly for their support echoes his actions during the Vietnam War. It's all part of a larger picture of the man and his fitness to lead. While is isn't necessary to fixate on the 60's, it also isn't necessary to ignore what we can learn from history.

It would be interesting to hear what each candidate learned from that period in our history and how he would apply it to improve our security. Bush appears to have learned from that war. He gives his military command enough autonomy to get the job done, and supports the troops however possible. Kerry, on the other hand, appears not to have learned anything worthwhile - he's still fighting the Vietnam War on some level. He's stuck in the 60's, in his youth.

[jolie560]

There are many Media people who are now in high places who were young enough back then to be aware of things during Vietnam. They are now resurrecting the Vietnam stuff that they experienced back then.

Many of them are working in Media, and are now in supervisory positions. They can now create a News environment that addresses their issues.

[GATOR NAVY]

I'm thinking the GenX ping list isn't going too well if the only person on it is yourself...

[qam1]

There are many Media people who are now in high places who were young enough back then to be aware of things during Vietnam. They are now resurrecting the Vietnam stuff that they experienced back then. Many of them are working in Media, and are now in supervisory positions. They can now create a News environment that addresses their issues.

Oh I agree and not only that, These Boomers haven't grown up and act as every war and little skirmish (Well only when they happen during Republican Presidencies) is a continuation of Vietnam which is why no matter how good things are going in Iraq they will always highlight the negative using Vietnam Buzz words like "Quagmire".

[qam1]

oooppps!!! Forgot to put the list

Xer Ping

[weegee]

George W. Bush never "loathed" the military or called them "baby killers".

'Nuff said.

[NYC GOP Chick]

If Kerry thinks he can do better, he should put away his scrapbook and start telling Americans what he plans to do to spare future generations the anguish and the cost of war.

Finally, someone has said what needs to be said (and written) often.

On the positive side, as time goes on, people of our generation and later think of Teddy and Patches when we hear the name "Kennedy" -- we don't think at all of JFK, RFK and all that Camelot hooey. It's about time for that, too.

[weegee]

Nearly every conflict (except suspiciously Bill Clinton's) begins with a chorus of "when the body bags start coming home this war will be halted".

I've even heard several songs "remixed" for radio to include comments from former President Bush (and others) saying things like "it's not going to be another Vietnam" with sad music playing as war is imminent.

Some people refuse to "move on".

[Just mythoughts]

Is JFKerry pimping his war movies? This is the second time I have read about him making movies while in Vietnam, too bad he didn't use them as evidence in that Congressional Hearing.

[weegee]

I wouldn't be surprised if Federal investigators have photos of some of Kerry's post service Vietnam War rallies.

[Just mythoughts]

Hillary as well.

Somebody has them, I expect to see them on EBAY any day.

JFKerry could well pay off that loan on his house, he supposedly took out, to become president.

I would not mind seeing those loan papers a well.

[qam1]

I wouldn't be surprised if Federal investigators have photos of some of Kerry's post service Vietnam War rallies.

And I bet Hillary has them too just in case JFKerry gets close!

[qam1]

I've even heard several songs "remixed" for radio to include comments from former President Bush (and others) saying things like "it's not going to be another Vietnam" with sad music playing as war is imminent.

I am surprised we haven't had any new songs from Neil Young on this subject.

[weegee]

We haven't heard it because his new album was a "concept" album with a long involved story that many people first heard at a concert (with a musical stage show) that they thought would be a showcase for his old hits. He took on Bush, Enron, and Clear Channel in his new screed.

[weegee]

Kerry's wife is a billionairess. Between Kerry and Soros we will probably not be seeing those photos.

Copies of Kerry's antiwar tome "The New Soldier" have disappeared from shelves and now trade for $150-350 on ebay and the book dealers at Bookfinder.com (and yes they do sell for those figures). I have to wonder how much effort was made to buy them up (or set a market value that is artificially high).

One of the copies on eBay was signed by Kerry when he was in Iowa. The seller claims that Fox News got footage of Kerry signing his antiwar book (I don't know if he was aware of what he was signing). That's some rich footage too (so is the clip of him miming smoking a joint while on his campaign tour).

[qam1]

Finally, someone has said what needs to be said (and written) often.

I hope so, But Kerry can't run on directly on 9/11 he will lose so he has got to go for the Vietnam strategy, Which unfortunately to many Baby Boomers Vietnam is more fresh in their minds than 9/11.

On the positive side, as time goes on, people of our generation and later think of Teddy and Patches when we hear the name "Kennedy" -- we don't think at all of JFK, RFK and all that Camelot hooey. It's about time for that, too.

And that can't happen soon enough, I work with a women in the baby boomer age range who in 2000 voted for Al Gore for the sole reason because she liked John F.Kennedy, I with a little help from a daily dose of Rush fixed her so she will be voting for Bush in 2004 but unfortunately I am sure she is not unique and there is many more like her out there, but the good news is most Xers & Ys I've met see right through that Camelot BS.

[BBell]

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