The topic of this thread is “Rethinking LBJ, was he that bad?” I don’t see how my comments are off topic. Please explain. I guess I don’t really understand the statement, “bump old threads”. I’m under the impression this is a current thread and I responded to the title. If I am making some kind of mistake, please enlighten me.
Maybe the problem is my assumption that a thread is still open unless it is specified as being closed. So are we only to post replies to comments made in say . . . the last week according to the date? If so, what is the expected limit since the last comment, that would imply that this is an old thread and should not be replied to? I’m new to this site so I may be missing something here.
Generally a threead is considered to have died, (thus, resurrecting it makes it a “zombie” when enough time has elepsed that posters might have moved on, (so that responses or challenges to them are pointless), or when feuds among participants may have sttled down and we would prefer that they not be pushed back into flames.
I admit the length of time is a bit subjective, but for a really hostile thread, six months certainly falls into that category.
[ /Modding ]
Curtis LeMay, if you haven’t read Once an Eagle, I strongly suggest that you do. In fact, you should read it several times and you will learn the truth about what you think you know concerning Vietnam. Pay particular attention to the last part of the book that deals with the hero being recalled by the Army and sent to that part of the world as an observer. If you know any wartime history at all, you will have no difficulty in identifying the real people who appear in the book under various fictional names. You might do well to remember that this book is required reading at the US Army War College. And, the book itself is NOT propaganda nor is it an apologia for war, nor does it endorse any political agenda. It’s a masterpiece, pure and simple.
What I don’t understand about Johnson-despite his venality and corruption, he was not a stupid man. By 1967, he knew Vietnam was a lost cause.
I have read that he planned a massive buyoff ofHo Chi Minh-the deal was to be a facesaving thing to allow Johnson to say he never lost. Except that Ho Chi Minh wouldn’t do anything untill all US forces were withdrawn-so Johnson kept on with the pointless conflict.
The US Airforce dropped more bombs than were droppen in WWII-yet the North Vietnamese fought on.
Even someone as amoral and cynical as LBJ must have realized it was hopeless.
Johnson was trapped-but he kept on killing people, for nothing.
He didn’t think he was killing people–he thought he was killing pissants who failed to understand what a massive, unstoppable force the US military was.
Came to the White House without a fortune, left with one. Say no more.
I agree, can you imagine someone picking up a Senator by the ears 
I don’t know about that - I thought he made his money from some (admittedly shady) deals in Texas before he ever made it to the Oval Office. Some sweetheart deal about a radio station IIRC.
Google reveals me to be pretty close to the mark - cite.That was back in the day when this kind of graft was looked on as almost one of the perks of office.
Didn’t Kennedy call him “Landslide Lyndon” because he was elected to some early office or other in part because of a slew of voters who voted in alphabetical order? More Googling - yes, in 1948.
Regards,
Shodan
In a nutshell, yes.
His Great Society was one of the major socialist actions taken in the USA and it has burdened us with Medicare, etc., which is helping to bankrupt our economy. In addition, LBJ was the walking embodiment of a crooked politician. He was popular because he spread the money around. If you hung with Lyndon and were on his good side, you got rich.
Frankly, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find out that if there really is a conspiracy about JFK’s assassination, LBJ was behind it.
I’m going to chime in again. LBJ ruined his historical reputation over Vietnam. Getting involved in non-distinct and unnecessary and unwinnable wars to avoid the domestic political fallout is one of the worst things a leader can do.
You know, most historians consider the Great Society a qualified success (don’t forget it included Johnson’s civil-rights legislation, consumer protection, education, etc., etc.); and I’m sure the percentage of Americans who would seriously want to abolish Medicare is very small, and the proportion of economists who seriously think it will bankrupt our economy is smaller still.