A Little Military History Revisited.

[necso]

(Or: "So, You Would Like a Taste, Eh?)

A person, when in a new situation, is wise to go along with the flow for a time.

Now, if some asshole is going to cast shit upon everything that a person does, regardless of whether or not it (the action in question) is common practise, common standard, common principle, common interest or something unique, then a person is never going to be able to avoid the filth.

For a person has basically two options: Either to do what one thinks is right (or at least acceptable at the time); Or to worry about every possible shit-flinger (one would then certainly have to avoid the primates -- unless one was shielded from them) and every possible piece of shit that they might fling (that is, every possible distortion of fact and context). And, of course, if one does worry about assholes, then one had better become the chameleon -- because these assholes will change their "minds" whenever it suits them.

...

Senator Kerry had no idea, when he was first wounded, that he would be wounded again. Now, considering the dangerous circumstances that he was operating under, perhaps he should have.

But the Senator did pretty much what other people were doing (and have done pretty much since forever) and that is nothing against him. -- He wanted a Purple Heart (after having earned it, according to the standards of the time) as proof of his service, and he went out and got one. The military, moreover, concurred with his judgment and awarded him his Purple Heart -- and this with no special consideration, influence or treatment that I can see.

That Senator Kerry went on to do other things, says more about him than this particular instance of going along the path of the herd. (Personally, I do not care for the path of the herd -- but that is my problem.)

Now, as for his leaving Vietnam: Again, this was what other people were doing -- taking advantage of opportunities (his well earned) to get out.

But one can easily imagine that Senator Kerry already saw that the war was hopeless, and, in an act of real moral courage, decided that what he was doing (personally) was fundamentally pointless -- and that it was wrong for our Nation to waste Her precious resources on that foolish land war in Asia.

So Senator Kerry got the Hell out of Vietnam (when presented with an honorable, deserved opportunity to do so) and went on to try to stop the war.

(Now, personally, I have never thought that much of protesting -- since men in power all too often do whatever they wish -- or whatever they can get away with. But I respect someone else's viewpoint -- when it is consistent with our great, diverse, National traditions.

As for those who think that we could have won that war, let me say this: Mr Charles was a tough and skilled fighter at his best, and we would have had to kill pretty much the entire other side for them to give up. Now, considering how hard it was to distinguish friend from foe in Vietnam, this would have had repercussions.

Personally, I would have had few moral qualms about killing them all -- had this been necessary for the National interest! (Which our involvement there never was.) For although necessity is a grim master, I will answer its call.

But it is not a wise policy to kill people in order to free them. And society does well to keep men with hard hearts and great "zeal" on short leashes -- because such men can get carried away at times, beyond the bounds of sound, dispassionate judgment and calm, cool, common sense -- to say nothing of the National interest.)

In his military and other experience, Senator Kerry has grown, matured and adapted. He has tried to do the right thing according to his own principles -- principles that I find consistent with being a good man -- and in his case, with being a great one. And I, for one, can keep all of this in perspective and proportion -- because the only way to deal with our problems is to study them in an open-minded way -- and to keep everything in perspective and proportion.

(And again, personally, I would never have gone to Vietnam. I saw it as a loser from way back. And I believe that when you start off on a course that you had better finish it -- if you are a man and concerned about ends, not worthless bullshit. Moreover, if you are a man, I believe that sometimes you have to admit that you are wrong and that you cannot acheive your ends (or, more importantly, your Nation's interests) on your present course -- and then, actually go out and change your ways -- as opposed to just changing your bullshit.

And again - again, if some fool takes this as being critical of Senator Kerry, well then, read it again -- and concentrate on certain words that I have been refraining from using.)