The Kerry Salute

[CollectiveInterest]

FYI, since the Navy doesn't salute uncovered, it always seems unnatural to do it out of uniform, uncovered. But it's something the Army vets expect to see since they don't make the distinction.

[CollectiveInterest]

His salute was indicative of sloppiness.  He was an officer, for Pete's sake.  He knew better.  He just doesn't give a hoot for the military.

Do you have facts or reasoning to back up your allegation?

Or you just another person living in Bushland?

[CollectiveInterest]

J-Mann, I've got a question for you: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=10622.0

[CollectiveInterest]

His salute was indicative of sloppiness.  He was an officer, for Pete's sake.  He knew better.  He just doesn't give a hoot for the military.

Do you have facts or reasoning to back up your allegation?

Or you just another person living in Bushland?

Are you asking about the sloppy salute, the fact Kerry was an officer, or that Kerry doesn't care about the military?

Are you unclear what I was asking? Or just being pedantic?

[CollectiveInterest]

You were the one who was asking the vague question.  If you want, I can give you a lesson in how to perform a proper military salute.  Or, I can give you the military career history of Kerry.  Or I can tell you how Kerry views the military and their benefits.

Simple enough.  Just clearly ask what you are looking for.

You can lecture people on military bearing? Ooo... I'm impressed.

How would you explain Kerry's views on the military?

[CollectiveInterest]

one word for kerry's dedication to his military career....sellout

How was Kerry a sellout?

You turned 18 in 1971. Did you volunteer to go to Vietnam?

[CollectiveInterest]

And if so, did you burn down villages?

Philip, please respond to the questions in this thread, https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=10622.0

[CollectiveInterest]

*** NOTE - I do have a very negative view of Kerry from when he returned from VN and watching him on tv.  His actions and sentiments were unbecoming of an officer and put many people still in theater in greater danger by empowering our enemy.  For that alone he would not receive my vote since I can't afford to have him make the same mistake again.   

I did my best to keep this neutral and objective.  Pardon any subtile Kerry bashing in my analysis of his view of the military.

Was the Vietnam War wrong?

Did you volunteer?

[CollectiveInterest]

I do not believe the VN war was wrong, but I do believe the handling of the war was wrong.

I entered the Navy on my own.

This is extreme historical revisionism, but...

How should the war have been handled? Why wasn't it handled this way?

Did you join the Navy to avoid being a grunt?

[CollectiveInterest]

I do not believe the VN war was wrong, but I do believe the handling of the war was wrong.

I entered the Navy on my own.

This is extreme historical revisionism, but...

How should the war have been handled? Why wasn't it handled this way?

Did you join the Navy to avoid being a grunt?

I entered the Navy since I love the ocean.  My father and his uncle were also in the Navy, as well was my brother.  Afterwards, I sailed commercially.  I miss sailing.

Were you draft eligible? Did you have a low number?

[CollectiveInterest]

I do not believe the VN war was wrong, but I do believe the handling of the war was wrong.

I entered the Navy on my own.

This is extreme historical revisionism, but...

How should the war have been handled? Why wasn't it handled this way?

Did you join the Navy to avoid being a grunt?

No, it was handled wrong from the beginning.  If we were to commit troops, we should have gone in with a sizable force from the beginning to defend the idiot that we helped gain power.  But instead, we sent in advisors, and then just a handful of troops at a time.  Poor planning.

This has been claimed before, but I'm skeptical.

Say the U.S. went in with a big force right away. How would this have changed the underlying dynamics that the RVN gov't was seen as an illegitimate puppet and the Ho was seen as a popular nationalist figure?

I think Iraq is basically the example of doing Vietnam with overwhelming force from the beginning. And starting with overwhelming force does not mean that the US didn't have to deal with a guerrilla movement.

BTW, someone recently observed that since WWII when great powers try to use military power to subjugate another people the insurgents always win. See http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_10/004954.php