[Theodore R.]

As I recall, it was the HST State Department that deliberately withheld supplies that Congress had voted for the Nationalist Chinese. This action, akin to treason under the later Iran-Contra rules, sealed the fate of the anti-communists in China. The State Department claimed that Chiang was "corrupt."
Also many uninformed Americans and forgetful politicians (like Goldwater and Reagan) seemed to overlook the scandals that plagued the HST administration.
And HST was the originator of the "no-win war." We are still paying the price for his poor Korean strategy. Even this week, North Korea is threatening to blow up the world. No, a reasonable reading of history refutes the greatness of HST. That is why I have never been "wild about Harry."

[rightwing2]

As I recall, it was the HST State Department that deliberately withheld supplies that Congress had voted for the Nationalist Chinese. This action, akin to treason under the later Iran-Contra rules, sealed the fate of the anti-communists in China. The State Department claimed that Chiang was "corrupt." Also many uninformed Americans and forgetful politicians (like Goldwater and Reagan) seemed to overlook the scandals that plagued the HST administration. And HST was the originator of the "no-win war." We are still paying the price for his poor Korean strategy. Even this week, North Korea is threatening to blow up the world. No, a reasonable reading of history refutes the greatness of HST. That is why I have never been "wild about Harry."

Your historical analysis is exactly correct. In 1947, the Nationalists under Christian leader Chiang Kai Shek were in complete control of mainland China outside of Soviet occupied Manchuria which was being used as a base for the Soviets to arm and train Mao's Red Army for the next stage of the war. Then the Red Army invaded China once again and the US Congress voted to provide the Nationalist freedom fighters with $1 billion in direct military assistance. Truman refused to provide this aid for 11 months while the Free Chinese Armies were immobilized by pro-Communist General George C. Marshall's order to withhold all military and logistical assistance including fuel and ammunition. In fact, Marshall even ordered a lot of the weapons sent by Congress including tanks, artillery and aircraft dumped into the sea.

As a result of Truman's and Marshall's treachery, Chiang's Christian led armies were routed by the godless Maoist hordes and mainland China was plunged into what has been 53 years of darkness which has exacted the toll of more than 60 million innocent Chinese murdered by the Butchers of Beijing who the US government under Bush Jr. continues to financially and diplomatically support in power. Finally, as you stated had Truman not fired MacArthur and refused to allow him to win the war in Korea and forestall ChiCom military intervention, over 30,000 American lives would have been spared and Korea would be united, democratic and free today. More importantly we would not be faced with incessant threats of nuclear war from a nuclear ICBM armed Communist North Korea today. As I stated, contrary to the whitewashed revisionist history books, Truman was an unmitigated disaster for US foreign policy and resistance to Communist agression worldwide.