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Adams, Jefferson, Quincy Adams, I "think" Madison and Monroe, Lincoln, FDR never served in the military. Got any complaints about them?
Better check your history. Especially the War for Independence for the first 5 you mention. Monroe and Lincoln on the frontiers and FDR was Secretary of the Navy.
I would like to think that someone who served in nam and subsequent adventures would be more reluctant to commit troops to hopeless and pointless conflicts. Probably not true though. Those defense industry bribes overrule both good sense and bitter experience
I would like to think that someone who served in nam and subsequent adventures would be more reluctant to commit troops to hopeless and pointless conflicts.
Exactly! If Hillary is elected president we will just have more of the same.
There is a lot of talk about "equal pay" on a gender basis and now women can serve in combat units in the military. Hillary Clinton wants to be elected commander in chief of our armed forces, yet she has never served a day in the military. It is true that she can't be called a draft dodger(like her husband) since women were not subject to the draft, but nothing prevented her from volunteering for military service during the Vietnam War. Why should we put her in charge of all U.S. servicemen and servicewomen when she wouldn't take the initiative to serve herself?
Presidents who are vets have always been a rarity in America. Vietnam began over 50 years ago, and the United States has changed since then. A half century that is now 16 years in our rear view mirror has increasingly less relevance to this century with each passing year.
Do you believe any woman is unfit for the Presidency who has not served? Or only Hillary is unfit because she didn't volunteer? She was in college then, and a lot of college kids never served. Why are you singling her out from all the rest?
This notion is ridiculous. As First Lady, then Senator, then Secretary of State, Hillary knows more about the the services than you or I do, and I was a vet who volunteered. My service does not qualify me for the job. If you served, neither do you qualify. We both know the Presidency is more than just our military.
Presidents who are vets have always been a rarity in America. Vietnam began over 50 years ago, and the United States has changed since then. A half century that is now 16 years in our rear view mirror has increasingly less relevance to this century with each passing year.
You are right, and that makes Hillary ancient. We need a younger person in the White House. It isn't a geriatric facility, you know.
I think normally we look for certain experience in both governing and even military for our leads. often it depends on the time. But even Roosevelt recognized this in making sure he kept marshal close at hand in WWII. Some things do not come just with reading history in worse times. Its why we pick governors so often who have been successful inn state executive positions in peace but turn often to experienced military leads in crisis.I think from the Joint Chiefs reports I will be looking for someone who can rebuild our military from the supposed peace dividend of Clinton. The fact that we had 180 fighter squadrons at time of Gulf War and now 50 soon to be 40 is frightening. It even then will taken a decade to rebuild. Being unprepared has constantly cost lives in every war we have been including WWI and WWII. Its not so much do we want to now days; as can we with present condition of force.
I recall reading what we now call an "op ed" by Eisenhower shortly after he left office. He suggested a universal draft, with young men (military was primarily young men at the time) going through boot camp and serving a total of 6 months. His opinion is that the nation would have a pool of potential military who could be brought on line very quickly.
I doubt we could get anything like that going these days.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,389,283 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by O.C. Ogilvy
Good point. President Lyndon Johnson was a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves and arguably made a mistake by allowing the Vietnam War to be micromanaged from the Pentagon instead of letting the generals "in country" make the decisions.
He made a mistake by escalating a needless war of choice where there was nothing to be won.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,389,283 times
Reputation: 40736
Quote:
Originally Posted by O.C. Ogilvy
Any person; male, female, transsexual, whatever, is unfit for the presidency if they are not a veteran.
The Constitution disagrees with you and carries a bit more weight.
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