JFK's out of print 'The New Soldier'

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Registered: 06-17-2004
JFK's out of print 'The New Soldier'
36
Thu, 08-26-2004 - 6:06pm

"Just after JOHN KERRY came back from Vietnam, he wrote the book THE NEW SOLDIER.

The book is out of print. John Kerry does not allow the publisher to reprint it.

To make a rational decision on November 2, you need to have all available facts.

You can now read John Kerry's THE NEW SOLDIER online for FREE."



http://www.johnkerrythenewsoldier.blogspot.com/

Renee ~~~

Renee ~~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 4:16pm
Did you read the rest of my post? I thought I made it pretty clear why soldiers couldn't report things to superiors. Their superiors were the ones ordering them to do it.

Again, I've never been in the military or in a war zone, but I would think that if you're in a dangerous situation, you bond with your unit and watch eachother's backs. To take a stand and risk alienating the very people who are keeping you alive is either courageous, or stupid, or both.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 5:31pm
Yes, I did read the rest of your post. Clearly, I missed your point. thanks for clearing it up for me.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 6:13pm
< Don't shoot the messenger. What happened in Vietnam happened - whether or not John Kerry talks about it. Is shooting civilians and pushing prisoners of war from helicopters only a crime if John Kerry mentions it to Congress?>

First of all, it's not me who is shooting the messenger. I am only pointing out why so many vets have a problem with him. Yes, he has every right to speak out, but then he ought to expect that those vets who served honorably were hurt by Kerry's and other's portrayals of them as baby killers, rapists etc. and are not going to feel too warm and fuzzy towards his bragging about his illustrious military career. Yes, these things happened, but most of our soldiers served honorably. Whether he intended to or not Kerry's activism helped foster an atmosphere of contempt for their service.



I understand that perfectly, but just like the Abu Ghraib situation toay, the leadership is not responsible for every illegal act committed by individual lunatics. Do you really believe the US government ordered our soldiers to rape and dismember people in Vietnam, or to put underwear on prisoners' heads at Abu Ghraib? It is exactly by painting the government and our troops as a whole with a broad brush that Kerry and others help besmirch those who served bravely and honorably.



I don't have a problem with him ratting out his peers-in fact, he should have ratted out the SPECIFIC peers who committed criminal acts rather than impugning our entire nation and military. But what actually rankles me the most about Kerry is his opportunism-he gives the appearance (and I can't prove this, it is just an impression I have) of someone who volunteered for military service when he thought it would advance his political career, repudiated that service when he thought THAT was the popular thing to do, and is now trying to embrace and inflate the importance of his service when he thinks it will help him get elected. As I've said before, I don't like the idea of questioning the service of anyone who volunteered, but Kerry has opened that door himself by making it central to his sales pitch.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 9:21pm
I was only a little kid during the Vietnam war and I didn't know that much about it, but have been doing some reading. It seems that Kerry was not the only vet to tell of atrocities. The following links tell about it

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/mylai.html

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1217-04.htm

I was shocked to learn that when soldiers tried to report the brutality they were not listened to. I think John Kerry was only one of hundreds of vets who came back talking about what was really going on.

My only memories of that war were of my parents turning off the tv so my sister and I would not see or hear the "body count", and of grownups discussing stopping the war. Since my family was very conservative & pro military (dad served in Korea) it would take a lot for them to go against the government, so they must have believed the reports. Unfortunately my parents are gone, so I can't ask them.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 1:46pm

Dropping in to clarify this important topic.


Elaine

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2004
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 2:56pm
Wow, man!

Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 4:33pm
I am sure John Kerry has changed what he thinks and how he views that book and what was in it now, thirty years later. I am sure we an all look back on our lives thirty years ago (those of us who are old enough) and could point out things we would not do or say the same way. What is the point of living if we cannot learn from our experiences?

Donna

Donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 6:03pm
"I am sure John Kerry has changed what he thinks and how he views that book and what was in it now, thirty years later. I am sure we an all look back on our lives thirty years ago (those of us who are old enough) and could point out things we would not do or say the same way. What is the point of living if we cannot learn from our experiences?"

Have you heard John Kerry say that he has changed his views since coming home from Vietnam? If so, could you please cite the source of that information for me. I thought that I heard him in an interview say that he has not changed his position, but as typical me, I don't remember what interview that was, so I could be mistaken.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 6:11pm
I was refering to him not wanting the book published again. His views that the war was wrong and the atrocities commited there have not changed. You seem to want to be able to accept all or nothing. The point is we are all beyond what we were 30 years ago to an extent. The point is Kerry served in VN and GW did not. The point is we have serious issues facing us today that are so much more important than the details of what happened in another war 30 years ago. Why are we not focusing on those issues? I will tell you why. Because the current president has a mess on his hands with every one of those issues and he does not want to talk about them,
Donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 6:22pm
We are focusing on these issue b/c John Kerry used his service as part of his credentials for why we should elect him President of the US. We are focusing on this issue b/c there are a lot of Vietnam Vets that have a huge problem with Kerry's integrity and how his actions hurt other soldiers during that war. Has it turned into a positive for the President, sure it has. Kerry has changed some of his stories on this entire issue, it has eroded some of his credibility and has made some people question what his motivation for his actions really were. Was it all his conscious (sp), was it that he thought this would be a good platform to jump into the political arena from and not so selfless? I'm thinking it was probably some of both.
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