John Kerry the Betrayer: Unfit to Command, part 3

[Ned]

Molly, your examples are good examples of American hypocrisy. It does not address the authority of a US president vis-a-vis Congress.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Ned
Molly, strictly from memory, the Khmer were funded by China and supplied by the North Vietnam. They got very little in the way of supplies while Sihanouk was in power because he was officially neutral. When he was overthrown, the kids gloves came off and the North Vietnamese began to give the Khmer ample supplies in an effort to overthrow the government of Cambodia.

Strictly from memory, Ned, just a few posts ago, you said this:

'The Khmer were supported by North Vietnam, not by the people of Cambodia. '


Unfortunately, Pol Pot organising the Khmer Rouge on his own as several of my cites indicated, and the fact that Cambodians joined because of the the U.S. bombing campaign (as noted by the C.I.A., that well-known Commie front) would seem to make your statement, oh, how shall I put it?

Eyewash.

Even if the North Vietnamese and the Chinese supplied and funded the Khmer Rouge, it doesn't mean they organized them, controlled them, or inspired them- several factions of the Khmer Rouge were vociferously anti-Viet Namese and hard line nationalists.


They had very little in the way of supplies from Sihanouk, because if you'd bothered to read my posts properly, you'll notice that Sihanouk cracked down on them when they tried to start a rebellion against him.

As for 'overthrowing' the government of Cambodia- you mean of course the Lon Nol government which overthrew the Sihanouk government courtesy of an American backed coup, don't you?

Strange what you consider to be a legitimate government.

It wasn't until Sihanouk had been deposed and was in exile that he joined up with the Khmer Rouge.

Ned, Cambodia was a neutral country. J

ust because one autocrat decides to look the other way under pressure from a superpower as it bombs his country and kills it's citizens does not mean it isn't neutral.


It was not at war with the United States; it was not an ally of the United States: ergo, it was neutral.

[Ned]

Originally posted by GePap


Bombing a sovereign country when it is a declared neutral party (even if its autocratic rulers don't seem to care) is an act of war- specially when we are speaking about a policy of bombings, and not just hot pursuits.

That is Congress' are of control-NOT the Presidents.

So, are you suggesting that MacArthur should have consulted Congress and not Truman when he asked for authority to bomb communist bases inside China during the Korean War?

[Patroklos]

john kerry.........


For forms sake.

[Ned]

Molly, your recent rendition of facts concern the Khmer is consistent with my knowledge. They did not take off with the people of Cambodia until the King joined them in alliance. They still needed military supplies from North Vietnam and financing from China, which increased dramatically when Sihanouk was overthrown and Cambodia officially welcomed South Vietnamese intervention.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Patroklos
john kerry.........


For forms sake.

Blame Ned.

He's the one who eulogized two real war criminals.


I'm going to bed- it's 5.20 a.m. here.

[Ned]

Molly, again, no one bombed Cambodians. We bombed the NVA inside Cambodia. There is a difference.

[Ned]

Good night Molly. It's been fun.

See you later guys. I've got to do something as well.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Ned


So, are you suggesting that MacArthur should have consulted Congress and not Truman when he asked for authority to bomb communist bases inside China during the Korean War?

NO, he had to consult his superior, which was Truman. Truman would have had to go to congress thought.

[Patroklos]

Now that THAT is over, GePap and I can get back on topic at hand, martial culture.

[Ramo]

Perhaps. But that was after the Civil War had ended.

No. It was during the Civil War (in '61 IIRC)

Even in the most recent case, the Supreme Court does not dispute the presidents authority to detail combatants for a time necessary to quell the battlefield.

Which has what to do with secretly bombing another country, exactly?

[Nubclear]

Kerry eats babies! He rapes women! He lines people against a wall and kills them all! Run away!!1!11

[GePap]

Originally posted by Ned
Molly, again, no one bombed Cambodians. We bombed the NVA inside Cambodia. There is a difference.

NO, we bombed Cambodia, hoping to get the NVA, and obviously failing- and we also killed lots of Cambodians doing it.

[Patroklos]

But John Kerry was there over Christmas, are you saying he killed people over the holidays. That...Bastard...

[rah]

Back on topic.
Having tried to read everything with an open mind. I have come to the following conclusions.

Kerry coming back from the war and speaking out about it pissed some people off and they're going for a little payback. Both had a right to speak out but it doesn't really belong in presidential campaigns.

Kerry seems to have been well aware of the regulations about getting home early through the use of Purple Hearts and probably stretched the definition a bit to take advantage of it. I really don't care what others recall and all the counter claims since it all happened so long ago, I'm sure selective memory is in effect. If I had been in Nam and thought there was a way to get out of there early through proper proceedures, I probably would have tried to work things to my advantage also. I do have a lot of respect for people that volunteered to fight there. I'm sure he was put in mortal danger more than once. He should be proud he served. Alas he wasn't.

BUT, if I had taken advantage of certain regulations to serve a short short term there, and then spoke out against the war upon returning, I would have kept my mouth shut and not tried to use it as a main focus of my election campaign. A humble quiet hero plays better anyway.

SO my whole problem with this is not what happened, since I really don't care. He served his country and came home alive. That's enough for me.

BUT, it does make me question his decision making abilities if he could be convinced that Pushing the WAR HERO thing was a good idea.