Supposedly, this is all part of a book to be released this month by by the same outfit of anti-Kerry veterans who’ve been shrieking for attention these last several months, but were ignored by the liberal tedia. Or were judged to be too full of shit to bother with, YMMV. They are organized as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
http://www.swiftvets.com/
“…Meet the real John Kerry – as self-obsessed and ruthlessly calculating as Slick Willie…”
Is this the foundation of the “self-inflicted wound” charge made above? And doesn’t that carry an entirely different connotation?
As so many of us lately are deeply vexed over issues of “truth” and “documentary” as compared to “lies” and “propaganda”, this seems an opportune time to discuss this, while the arguments are still fresh in our minds.
I especially invite the participation of SimonX, our premier Google-grubber. I haven’t even scratched the surface for cites on this shitstorm, so its a target rich environment. (I would, but I’m lazy and easily…look! Shiny!..)
These guys don’t seem to have the support of any of the men who actually served under Kerry’s command. And they don’t provide anything but speculation about his Purple Hearts.
Their biggest grudge remains his anti-war activities after his return. Their use of the term “peaceniks” is a little worn out after forty years, but still a dead giveaway about the chip on their shoulders.
Sounds like sour grapes to me, but they certainly have the right to publish their opinions. I wish they would remember that while they were “fighting for freedom,” one of those freedoms was the right of each of us, John Kerry included, to give his opinion.
I am grateful for those who service remained noble.
I am skeptical that these particular authors have done much reading at this site which documents the bombardment of civilian targets in Vietnam, including hospitals, schools, medical establishments, dams and villages – long before the end of the war:
The International War Crimes Tribunal, Sweden and Denmark, 1967
Meh. Kerry’s 'Nam exploits, positive or negative, don’t mean a thing, in my opinion. If these allegations are true, hell, that would probably finish his hopes for the Office.
I love the word “If”. So full of hope, so full of potential, so many possible outcomes it can describe. It’s as if someone took Quantum Physics and jammed it into English Grammar.
So… ::shrug:: More Petty Politics. What’d you expect?
So will the Pentagon open up a review of Kerry records? Of course, the blame will quickly start it would be partisan politics. But Rumsfeld can take the fall, we would know once and for all about those medals.
Or will that trigger a call to review Bush’s miltary records just to be fair?
If Kerry had known that his run for president would have prompted a sudden concern for the lives of the Vietnamese among the right wing, he would have run in the 70s.
These SBVT cocksuckers are some of the very same people who gave Kerry positive evaluations and submitted the paperwork for those medals, including the man who wrote up Kerry’s Silver Star and the son of the man who approved it and pinned it on him.
Everyone who actually was in the boat with him supports his candidacy.
These don’t at all match the reviews of Kerry in his fitops(?) that some military blogger conducted. Even though he didn’t like Kerry, he determined that Kerry’s fitops portrayed him as an exceptional officer even after the reports had been adjusted for the inflation he claimed that these reports often have.
If I remeber, I’ll try to look around for the review.
I’m not that concerned about Kerry. Sadly (and maybe, in the future, regrettably) I just don’t give much of a fuck who Kerry is. But as a favor to El Ucidato, I’ll see what’s out there.
Who the fuck do you think is walking the streets in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kissinger only knows where else hoping to come home alive, preferrably in one piece?
These are the same guys, right, who when you bring up the guard, or Enron, or anything about Bush, start screaming about why you hate the President so? Hypocritical shits, all of them.
IT SURE AS HELL WAS! And who the fuck do you think was fighting in Vietnam in the 60’s? John Kerry was, and there is no reason to put up with this crap from a bunch of lying weasels who’s sell their mothers to Saddam’s sons if’d it get Bush elected this year.
“…After the third Purple Heart, the Navy was required to reassign Kerry out of Vietnam, and a document dated March 17, 1969, said Kerry requested duty as a personal aide in Boston, New York or the Washington area. Kerry could have volunteered to stay in Vietnam, but left the country in early April 1969…”
Well, today…final polish on Canto 23 (not enough post-modernist irony), hunted grizzly bear with baseball bat, Heartbreak motor oil, Bombay gin, a spot of wenching, and out-Googled SimonX. A full day, by any measure.
Yeah, I saw them too. Question remains is that all of Kerry’s crewmates? Since he wasn’t on the boat all that long, there couldn’t be that many more. Now, reading the Swift Boat guys, one gathers the impression that at least some of Kerry’s crewmates disagreed, but I don’t recall them actually naming any names.
(Thought it was funny…somebody asked one of them what they called Kerry “behind his back”. Said they called him “Sir”…)
I mean, if we’re going to go to all the trouble to kill this bullshit, might as well drive a stake through its heart as well, no?
Got a mirror-thread up in GD, where this link is posted to the estimable Snopes. Lot of quotes from anti-Kerry veterans, of whom only one, a fellow named Steve Gardner, is listed as actually being a ship-mate of John Kerry.
So, rough count of shipmate opinions: 14 yea, 1 nay.
