JFK: Defending the Indefensible

[admin]

Okay, which of you usual suspects — PC, zk, ps, et al. — can do us the favor of explaining JFK's latest foot-in-the-mouth episode? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLuMWiQ6r2o

I know, I know, we military types are near-Neanderthals from red states.  That's why we look to you elite-types for insight and clarification.

Me thinks he just called me and my military brethren Neanderthals to our face.  I just don't see anything close to the purported 'Bush joke.'  But, hey, I'm slow.

Signed,

Eager-for-enlightening

[sdgal]

Is this site still focused on covering the housing bubble? I am a little bit confused because lately a lot of NON-HOUSING related posts seem to be creeping into this site. People bashed powayseller for posting too much but at least she posted about housing related information.

As a person who checks this site at least four to five times a day, lately I find myself being turned off by this site, especially when I see JG’s postings.

Please keep your political and religious views to yourself and keep this site focused on its original purpose.

SDGal

[BuyerWillEPB]

Too harsh SDgal. What’s wrong with some off topic discussion? Why don’t you go ahead and post something instead of complaining.

I’m on JG’s side.

[Mark Holmes]

Yeah, after all, it was posted originally in off topic, so it’s fair to bring it up. But Kerry is right. If you’re really honest, and look at the demographics of the military, it’s primarily made up of the poor and the uneducated. Most people who are serving are there because they have very few options. That doesn’t take anything away from their service; it’s simply the truth.

And the way he has responded has garnered him untold press, where he has been allowed to soapbox endlessly about Bush’s failures in Iraq. It isn’t exactly great for Bush, seven days before the election, to be dragged through the Iraq debate once again.

[Anonymous]

The off-topic forum is subtitled, “Whatever you feel like talking about.” Sounds okay to me, especially since Kerry made his blunder here in So Cal and the mid-terms are a week away. We had a RE related thread just recently about young Marines who marry and bear children a few pay grades ahead of themselves, so Kerry’s remarks aren’t too far away from recent discussion.

[PerryChase]

I’m also on jg’s side although I don’t agree with him philosophically.

John Kerry was criticizing the president not the military.

In the same vain, isn’t it true that personnel who enlist generally don’t have college degrees? Many join for the GI bill. I happen to know of 2 kids who enlisted last year without graduating high school. The military was so desperate that they lowered their standards and enlisted those men without a high school diploma, then helped them get their GEDs.

The reality is that the military is comprised of lower class men and women who join because of the training and benefits offered. Without the military, those people may never have the opportunity to develop their skills. For that, the military should be praise for being an equal opportunity program. It’s sort of like welfare, training and job for the poor. Let’s get real and see it for what it is.

Milton Friedman said that we might as well outsource the military and we might even get better value for our money. How’s that for conservative market approach thought?

[Anonymous]

JG, Although policically incorrect what came out of Kerry’s mouth, it is fact that most of our troops come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This is ESPECIALLY true of the Army and Marine Corps who are bearing the bulk of the duty in Iraq. You clearly have no military background if you don’t realize this.

For Bush to pounce on this is a joke, that jackoff didn’t spend one minute in combat. His daddy got him into the Guard back in the day when the Total Force concept didn’t yet exist and the Guard was the way to avoid the draft. Meanwhile Kerry served in combat. Bush should just keep his trap shut on any issue regarding the military as his record is pathetic.

[CardiffBaseball]

First of all this is the off-topic forum, so quit whining about off-topic subjects.

I am a vet who primarily educated myself while on active-duty, and partially used the GI Bill for my last semester. In my little shop, (B-1B Bomber Offensive Avionics), there are several of my co-workers who have done extremely well. Guys who got BSEEs, MBAs, RF Engineers, etc. Now one could argue that since we were not front-line grunts, we are not the type that Kerry talked about.

One of the developers that works for me was a Marine grunt, and he has done well.

First I grew up a Union Democrat, and not a pompous elitist liberal, and that’s what Kerry and his ilk are. I saw that the military offered me greater opportunities if I was willing to use the tools they made available. NCO training, Total Quality Management, responsibility for working on $280 Million Dollar aircraft. I skipped playing basketball out of HS, at a D-3 school, because I thought the military offered some structure while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. Great way to save UAW dad a few bucks.

So anyway if I was low-class so be it. The problem J-F’n Kerry has is that many of these dumb kids, are the children of his constituents. UAW guys for instance aren’t likely to look down their nose at military service for their kids, which sets them apart from the coastal snot-noses.

[BuyerWillEPB]

Dumb kids? Not everyone gets born into priviledge.

I am a vet too, and I was even a grunt (USMC 0313). Now I have a BSME from UCSD. So I have seen both worlds. Granted, there are good and bad elements in both worlds, but I see more honor, respect, and goal oriented teamwork from the vets, and more cut-throat, individualistic weakness, and arrogance from the pampered rich kids.

[PD]

Kerry just spit in the eye of all service members, current, past and future. This guy wants to be Commander in Chief? Wow, nothing like serving under someone who thinks the only reason you are in the military is because you can’t do anything else. I wonder if he feels the same about his own military service?

During the 15+ years my husband has been a Marine, he has worked with many hundreds of incredible, hard-charging Devil Dogs. These guys are a hard working, talented bunch.

Attack policy all you want, Kerry, but denigrating the fine men and women who stand ready to defend this county is a low down, despicable act.

Even if you do not agree with our current military action, it behooves us all to remember that our service members are there to defend us against ANY threat that may materialize. The future is unknown. Who knows what kind of national threat lies in our future. In addition to other issues, Kerry just struck an irresponsible blow to recruitment, which will have a negative impact on national readiness.

As for the fact that it garnered him media attention, I agree that it did so. If this was a media ploy, then it highlights Kerry as a man willing to say anything, hurt the country and belittle anyone in an attempt get attention.

[lostkitty]

A blow to recruitment? I dont think so. You think someone might not sign up because of this one comment? That they will seriously consider it, but then think to themselves, “No… people might think I’m dumb.” Come on.

It is, however, another clever way of blaming the low recruitment numbers on the Democrats and ‘liberal media”. Ignore the recent years of frighteningly dwindling recruiting numbers, and just focus VERY LOUDLY and REPEATEDLY on this one comment. Do not ever replay his comments in their entirety. Certainly DO NOT play the immediately preceeding sentence where he clearly says he is talking about Bush. Genius! Maybe you can be the next Karl Rove.

[PD]

Actually, I do think that his comment will persuade some not to enlist. Recruitment is currently a challenge for the military and his comment may very well have a negative impact. However, it may have no impact if nobody ever gives any weight to anything Kerry says. After all, he was one of those stupid people who served.

[Anonymous]

PD, nobody is denying that the troops over there are solid hardworking kids. But, the reality is if they had the brains and/or money to go to college, very few of them would have enlisted. That is just a fact of life.

The number one reason kids enlist in the military is for the money and educational benefits. The only thing that will hurt recruting is to curtail these benefits. If you think what Kerry said will have impact on recruitng you are in lala land.

[blahblahblah]

The official word is that Kerry fumbled what was supposed to be a slam against Dubya. The line was supposed to be something like “…if you don’t study hard you’ll get us stuck in a badly planned war in Iraq”. Make of that what you will, I doubt it’s gonna change anyone’s mind here, but I doubt that a guy who saw combat really wants to slam his fellow soldiers. Of course Kerry’s not really one to be talking about studying hard since his GPA at Yale was every bit as dismal as Dubya’s.

The really important thing to notice is how all of us are now talking about 40 F***ING YEAR OLD MILITARY RECORDS, and whose daddy can beat up whose daddy rather than figuring out what’s really important to vote on in a few days. Of course that’s the plan, to keep us all distracted while they continue to pick our pockets.

Now back to sleep, everyone….

[PD]

I agree that the number one reason people enlist is for the money and educational benefits. According to Kerry, however, they enlist because they are too stupid for anything else. Big difference.

[Author]

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