This is a valid and interesting criticism of Kerry. I confess, that his standing as a mainstream DLC democrat has made me lazy about scrutinizing him very closely. His overall values and intelligence and willingness to bring a pan-spectrum coalition of DC professionals to replace the monstrous cult now controlling the republic... these things are adequate for me.
But I am willing to begin accumulating and listing suspicions, demerits and deficits. What you describe below, if accurate, reflects perhaps a too strong aversion to war sometimes seen in combat veterans. Or perhaps too strong a reflex aversion to Bush Sr. Or perhaps a strong sense that the sheiks are not our friends, never were, and that our sons should not be spent for their sake... or.... I will keep my eyes open. Thanks. May (God willing) John Kerry be a topic of major conversation on Brin-L for the next four years. I have had enough talking about fanatical shrubs. --- Gautam Mukunda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- David Brin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > False distraction. If Kerry opposed the 91 > > campaign, > > I have yet to see evidence for that. In any > event, > > if > > he did, that is but one strike against him. I'll > > take > > note. It brings his list up to W's toes. > > He absolutely did oppose it - he voted against the > first Gulf War and his grounds, IIRC, were that > there > was an insufficient international coalition in favor > of it. Which is, of course, absurd. This is the > criticism that people have to address about Kerry, > Dr. > Brin, and I don't see you doing it. I think it's > entirely fair. What does "bring our allies in" mean > _other than France_? The British supported us. The > Italians supported us. The Spanish supported us > (although they do not now support us, of course). > The > Japanese supported us. The Australians supported > us. > The South Koreans supported us. As soon as Angela > Merkle wins the next German election (and she will) > the Germans will support us. The Danish supported > us. > The Netherlands supported us. So what does it mean > to say that we didn't have international support? > Does it mean Russia and China? If it does, then you > can't possibly favorably compare Kosovo to Iraq, > because Russia and China were every bit as opposed > to > Kosovo as they were to Iraq. So, other than a cheap > bit of dishonest rhetoric on Kerry's part about > allies, what the hell is that supposed to mean, and > what is he going to do when he finds out on his > first > day in office that Jacques Chirac is giving him the > finger from across the Atlantic? Furthermore, given > France's behavior over the last 10 years, shouldn't > we > be _proud_ that France is opposed to us? Do we want > to be on the same side as the country that aided and > abetted the Rwandan genocide? This does not seem to > me a place of honor. If the criticism of the Bush > Administration is that it is inept (and I think it > is) > surely it's fair to ask Kerry what the hell he means > by statements that are far more clearly a lie than > anything you've ever criticized Bush about. If he > couldn't even bring himself to support the Gulf War > in > 1991, then the next time somebody kills a few > thousand > Americans (and it will happen) what is he going to > do > when France, Russia, and China doesn't give a > response > their seal of approval (and they won't)? > > > ===== > Gautam Mukunda > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > "Freedom is not free" > http://www.mukunda.blogspot.com > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We > finish. > http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail > _______________________________________________ > http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l > _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
