There's three things that are bothering me:
- Zell Miller: “…nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators.”
- The stink over Bush's service
- The stink over Kerry's service
First, Zell Miller. As I've explained before, my father served in the Marine Corps. 20 years. Miller really talks up his military service. He did 3 years. Now I'm not talking down to that—I'm just saying that some people milk their service for all than it's worth. Possibly more.
Don't get me wrong. I've never been in the military and I don't ever intend to enlist. And those who dedicate themselves or give a lot of themselves to the military ought to be admired and looked up to.
The impression I get is that Zell got more out of the Marines than the Marines got out of Zell. And that's ok. But I will never see Zell Miller as a distinguished Marine.
Dan Rather served in the Marine Corps too, for you Republicans out there.
Which brings me to the next two. I'm just gonna combine them and speak of them in light of the Dan Rather reference, since I am absolutely furious at the Republican party right now.
The Republican party honors military service when it serves their interest to do so. That is it. Bottom line. Look at what conservatives say about about Zell Miller. Look what they say about John McCain. Bush's service. Take a wild guess what they say about Dan Rather. You can find articles on Kerry yourself. See a pattern here?
Granted, that was from one source. But they certainly reflect the opinions of a lot of Republicans.
I've already made my opinion clear regarding Kerry's focus on his military service.
I just can't describe how angry it makes me that the Republicans go after opponents' military records. They think McCain is mentally damaged, that Cleland is a clumsy idiot, that Kerry is a cowardly opportunist. But they somehow think that Miller is a fine example of a Marine.
These same people apparently don't have a problem that DeLay said that he couldn't get into the military and go to Vietnam because all the slots were taken up by minorities. They don't have a problem with Bush saying, “I was not prepared to shoot my eardrum out with a shotgun in order to get a deferment. Nor was I willing to go to Canada. So I chose to better myself by learning how to fly airplanes.”
Fuck them and their cynical politics.|||109485814121942315|||Military Service
|||FYI - Dan Rather was not a Marine, since he never completed basic training. Your statement, "Dan Rather served in the Marine Corps too, for you Republicans out there.", is technically correct since he took an oath and was on the payroll. However, all Marines know they are only recruits and NOT Marines until they graduate boot camp.
Joe|||Good to know. I only knew about Rather being affiliated with the Marine Corps at all because I heard my Dad gripe about it.For the record, was it obvious that there was at least a tinge of irony in my mentioning Rather? I mean, my overall point was that affiliation with a branch of the service, even the Marine Corps, doesn't make anyone more credible by default.
It's a delicate point, but I hope I've made myself clear.