The democrats used to be "hawks". Now the neo-cons are the hawks. What a
change! Regardless, the outcome of the current war is very apparent.
Traditional conservative political values have been hijacked by Bush II and
his cronies. I am looking forward to the coming major elections. I think a
return to bi-partisan, middle-of-the road, more sensible, politics will
appeal to voters. That is, if the widely spread "neo" propaganda doesn't
brainwash the majority. I prefer to think optimistically that it won't.

Phil B


"Scott W. Harvey" wrote in message
...
Beerbarrel wrote:
sissies!

It is popular fodder for Republicans to portray Democrats (or anyone else
who rubs their fur the wrong way) as a bunch of wimps.

Well, let's take a brief look at history over the last century.......

World War I-Prosecuted by the administration of Woodrow Wilson, a
Democrat. The first truly mechanized war, and the first widespread use of
chemical weapons in war. The USA and its allies were ultimately
victorious, but things soon turned ugly. Wilson's failed attempts to
secure a lasting postwar peace led to a complete destruction of his
health. Widespread postwar unemployment and a health care system strained
to its limits by a pandemic spread by returning troops made victory
bittersweet.

World War II-Prosecuted by the administration of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, a Democrat. The most complete military victory in American
history led to the emergence of the USA as a superpower, and the pent-up
demand for long-rationed consumer goods led to a booming economy as well.
But victory came at a heavy price....A quater of a million US lives lost,
and a postwar world enormously complicated by the development and
deployment of atomic weapons.

Korean Conflict-Prosecuted by the administration of Harry S. Truman, a
Democrat. Although some of the same brilliant strategists who engineered
the victory in WWII were involved in this conflict (including Douglas
MacArthur for a time), The best the US and its allies were able to
accomplish in two years of fighting was a draw....Not good for a military
action that claimed at least 32,000 American lives.

Vietnam Conflict-Prosecuted by the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson, a
Democrat. This war became so unpopular that Johnson was forced to give up
his bid to serve the longest period of any post WWII president. By 1968,
the nation was the most divided it had been since the Civil War. Richard
Nixon, Johnson's White House Descendant, fared little better with the war
effort and finally called it quits in 1973 after 55,000 American lives had
been lost. It should be noted that many high-ranking officials of the
current Bush administration came of age during the Vietnam involvement.
Most of them, including the President himself, received student deferments
and/or National Guard appointments and did not play a combat role in this
conflict.

Desert Storm-Prosecuted by the administration of George H.W. Bush, a
Republican. Mission accomplished.....light casualties and total victory
over the enemy in a popular and patriotic war. Sounds like a home run,
right? That's what the Republicans thought, too....Until voters sent Bush
packing in favor of Republican arch-enemy Bill Clinton, making Bush the
first single-term Republican president since Herbert Hoover.


It can be seen that the outcome and aftermath of these conflicts is
definitely a mixed bag, and that most of them were prosecuted by
Democratic administrations. Does the current Democratic skittishness about
the Iraq war mean that they are just sissies and wimps-or could it be that
it is because the Democrats have learned some awful truths about the
social and political costs of waging modern warfare that the Republicans
have yet to learn?


-Scott



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