|
|
|
April 03, 2008
A Man With Real Experience
Yes. When it comes to war and peace we need to heed the words of a man with real experience. Al Gore. Gore said in 1988 that his experience in Vietnam:So the war was a mistake. OK. I don't buy that. But Al and I agree that the bigger mistake was abandoning the freedom lovers in South Viet Nam. A mistake the Democrats are intent on repeating in Iraq. How stupid do you have to be to repeat a mistake with truly terrible consequences a second time?"...didn't change my conclusions about the war being a terrible mistake, but it struck me that opponents to the war, including myself, really did not take into account the fact that there were an awful lot of South Vietnamese who desperately wanted to hang on to what they called freedom. Coming face to face with those sentiments expressed by people who did the laundry and ran the restaurants and worked in the fields was something I was naively unprepared for." I believe you don't have to be stupid to do that. You have to be a Democrat. Cross Posted at Power and Control posted by Simon on 04.03.08 at 06:26 AM
Comments
Carol, I agree, but I think Al was doing the usual politician thing of bringing disagreement gently. He shows his liberal bona fides first, stating he was against the war and nodding to the claim that their freedom isn't the same as ours. Only then does he bring the news liberals didn't want to hear - that they had overlooked how the people themselves saw the problem. There is an enormous problem with this approach. It is a social nicety used to preserve relations with the person you are disagreeing with. It is excellent for use with families, friends, and colleagues. It is a dyadic and small-group strategy. As a persuasive strategy with large groups it is much less effective. The people listening to you agree that you have a point and that you're a wise a good person, but the balancing act you just went through undermines the impact of your claim, and memory of it erodes. Come to think of it, that's a good strategy for a politician, though. Hmm, I feel a post of my own coming on, unless someone beats me to it. Assistant Village Idiot · April 3, 2008 08:27 AM Remember, hindsight is not always 20/20. Veeshir · April 3, 2008 11:56 AM AVI, Very good. Leave a link when you put it up. Simon M. Simon · April 3, 2008 11:57 AM Veeshir, So true. However, it can inform us on what the best choices may be for the future. M. Simon · April 3, 2008 12:31 PM "I agree that the bigger mistake was abandoning the freedom lovers in South Viet Nam." This is known as betraying an ally. I've been much amused by the pontification from the left that we should submit to the views of our allies--France is usually meant--at the same time they wish to repeat the Vietnam betrayal in Iraq. They wish the United States to be an unreliable ally (and those you fight with are the real allies, not the holdovers from World War II in the U.N.), and then loftily inform us that their policies will garner the world's good opinion. Brett · April 3, 2008 01:16 PM Spot on, Brett. That is because they take "allies" to mean their allies - the international Arts & Humanities Tribe - not America's allies. It's so easy when you know the language. Assistant Village Idiot · April 3, 2008 01:23 PM Carol, you are absolutely correct. Putting it that way is both condescending and disbelieving. Bleepless · April 3, 2008 09:46 PM The post is finally up, the second of three connected posts about social subtleties: http://assistantvillageidiot.blogspot.com/2008/04/part-ii-classical-values.html I'll email you also. Assistant Village Idiot · April 6, 2008 10:16 PM |
|
April 2008
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
April 2008
March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 AB 1634 MBAPBSALLAMERICANGOP See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
• "profound desire not to be judged"
• Because The Night • Carbon Nanotube Breakthrough • A Wright-wing conspiracy? • An Unkulunkulu atheist vows never to be out-atheisted again! • Where Do The Commanding Officers Live? • Choose your identity group carefully, kids! • The Chickens Are Coming Home To The Roosters • UGH! • In The Middle Of The Road
Links
Site Credits
|
|
What does he mean, "what they called freedom"? Does a plutocrat like Al think that anyone who works for a living is enslaved by the normal (and character-building - he should try it sometime) need to support oneself and one's family? What a tool. I do wish there was some way to make him shut up.