Posted by panch from pool0076.cvx25-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net (209.179.216.76) on Thursday, September 05, 2002 at 8:13AM :
In Reply to: To Tony and Rabbi Yihtzak posted by Jeff from pcp01169382pcs.roylok01.mi.comcast.net (68.62.14.216) on Wednesday, September 04, 2002 at 11:24PM :
I might be mistaken, and I usually am wrong...but I think Gore served in Vietnam, in fact that may have been the beginning of his performing his "duty" by his family and country, that seemed to have left him a walking cadaver. But there were plenty of other white folk who avoided service.
In the old days a king had to be certain he needed to wage war...he usually had to lead his troops in person, with his sons who were of age. He had to be easily distinguishable in battle for morale purposes...usually in the thick of it, and by the same token, if he fell, it usually meant his troops would hesitate if not quit altogether, after all, they reasoned, HE was the one who wanted the war.
Somewhere in between, commanders watched from the hill overlooking the battle...now they stay home and keep their sons and fortunes and arses out of harm's way. The First World War was basically fought between the members of the British Royal family...Victoria, the Czar and the Kaiser were all related, as were several of their princes and princesses. It was a game of chess for them...with the same poor slobs who lived in all of their countries as pawns.
As Muhammad Ali so bravely said in 1970..."what's a Vietcong ever done to me...never called me a nigger..." Meaning he had a lot more in common with the poor of Vietnam than he did with the Crackers sending him to fight for a country that treated him like a sub-human. The man's courage and class was something beautiful to behold...and years later he was vindicated.
The "patriots" of today will be roundly repudiated one day...but it wont matter then...we'll "hang our heads in shame" then and "apologize to the world"...but fortunes will have been made...and we'll be off and running on the NEXT "threat" to our way of life.
"Next year in Zimbabwe"
When did the United States become a rampaging bull? I know Mark Twain was driven nearly apoplectic when the United States fought Spain to "liberate" the noble Cubans and Filipinos..then turned around and betrayed their leaders... people we identified with because they were fighting for freedom from colonial rule, as we had in 1776...and took control of their lands. Twain felt then that his beloved country had taken a serious wrong turn...and has wrote a scathing condemnation called, "To The Person Siting In Darkness".
Henry Miller believed the same thing when he moved to Paris in the 30's. Said it was all over for America, that the people had gone crazy and he didn't want to stick around for the funeral that was sure to follow...and we have been in continual warfare...with other countries and then against the people of America since then.
We have a gaggle of leeches living among us who would despoil their own children if they could profit by it.
They robbed us with Enrons and Worldcoms and Dotcoms...the same guys who stood with a tear in their collective eye, and hand placed their heart should have been after 9/11...then robbed the widows and orphans...and now want to send their sons to war...and you guys call THESE people patriots and loyal Americans?
How's about serving lunch to your son's rapist? After all, he WAS dressed in red white and blue when he did it.
-- panch
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