Where were you in the war, Dick Cheney?

New Statesman ^ | 3rd October 2001 | Andrew Stephen

[nancetc]

VP Cheney received deferments for being a student and then when he and Lynne had a child. During the Vietnam War the following classifications were available:

Class I-S: Student deferred by law until graduation from high school or attainment of age of 20, or until end of his academic year at a college or university.

Class II-S: Student deferment.

Class III-A: Extreme hardship deferment, or registrant with a child.

[PrivacyChampion]

Big deal, signing up for the draft. I signed up. So, what. Cry me a river, dumba$$.

Have you not heard? bin Laden views each and every taxpayer as a soldier; a part of the military. So, it really doesn't matter whether you're in uniform or not.

My advice: buy a gun-buy some shells-learn to shoot the gun-get a concealed carry permit (if your state doesn't have this law, get it passed)-be prepared to kill some terrorists within your borders (God forbid that time ever comes). Because we're all members of the military to this psycho a$$holes.

[PrivacyChampion]

Bill Clinton is seditious. He committed violent acts against American installations in Europe and Russia during Vietnam. He's a traitor, up front and personal. Screw him. May his guts rot and spill out.

[A.J.Armitage]

Andrew Stephen- your name has been duly registered in the "AGAINST US' column.

Have you put Colin Powell's name there too?

[Non-Sequitur]

Actually he is a hypocrite - with an 'e'. And what of others who did everything in their power to avoide military service. What are your thoughts on them?

[mountaineer]

Gee, did you really think we couldn't tell you were a disruptor? Go back to bartcop, where they'll commend you for your cleverness. Begone!

[skeeter]

I pointed out that it was less than a generation ago that the Vietcong "took out" 59,000 Americans in a humiliating military defeat where US military might failed abjectly (actually, around half those 59,000 died in accidents or of natural causes).

Frightfully ignorant statement. Wonder where he picked up these little morsels of misinformation.

[RobFromGa]

Not yet, it still looks like he is taking orders.

[dixiechick2000]

My husband was a pilot in the Navy in Viet Nam.
I trust Dick Cheney 1000% more than I trusted any of the Washington crowd in that war...er, police action.

[truth_seeker]

Cheney, to take just one example from the eager team of hawks, received no fewer than five deferrals of national service, so that he avoided it completely.

As did many other young men, at the time. A deferral was LEGAL. There were many reasons allowed.

This brit wimp is knocking Cheney, and building up Powell. It is good management for the President to have alternate views and input. Administrations OFTEN to have the tension of such views. Powell is playing a role.

Based on what I state above, I would rather have the appeaser/dove as Secretary of State--the diplomatic side. And the warmonger/hawk on the Defense side. Just exactly as G. W. Bush does have it. Okay.

[anniegetyourgun]

Excuse me for asking, but just exactly what is the % of the American population having served in the military?

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

there isn't a single minute of military service among any of them.

Not true. Dashole served in the Air Force at SAC, in Omaha I believe, from 69-72. Bonior was an enlisted cook in the Air Force, even though a college graduate and was stationed in California from 68-72. He attended night school and got his masters degree while not cooking SOS.

You and I would probably agree that serving in Nebraska or California during Vietnam is a stretch as far as tough duty is concerned, especially considering where they could have been and I have my own opinion of "service" in the Air Force, but those two pukes are indeed veterans.

[Norwell]

The draft was continuous from Korea through 1973. They should not have had to draft him, he should have volunteered out of a sense of service. As I recall, his exact quote regarding this was "I had other priorities". We can be thankful that others had service to their country as a priority.

If he had done this, he would have been able to defend the Reagan "Don't Belong, Don't Join" policy...and I as a commander would not have had to deal with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". I am sure James Webb would have been able to explain to Barney Frank precisely why the romantic element does not belong on the combat team. Having never commanded (in combat or otherwise), ole Dick did not and does not have a clue.

Finally, if you need a subject matter expert, you bet it is better to have somebody who has done it before. That's true of accountants, carpenters, doctors, welders, lawyers, farmers, mariners...and people who wage war! We have had eight years of folks without a clue...enough is enough.