John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Truman and Eisenhower were seeking to aid France who were trying to re-establish their French Colony over Vietnam. After the French failure and withdrawal the issue became would Vietnam swing C*******t (Soviet Union & others weighted in) or not. At the time we heard much about the Domino Theory in which the entire South East Asian countries would tumble to Moscow. It is ironic the leader of the Viet Minh, Ho Chi Minh, was a US & West ally when Japan invaded and occupied Vietnam. It seems Ho was not a C*******t from the get-go and had the US played its cards right there might never have been a North & South and no Vietnam War. But at the time there was a great hullaballoo over C*******m with the Soviet Union doing its thing. Remember the Iron Curtain and subjugation of Eastern Europe and elsewhere. Wikipedia has a very good article on the Vietnam War. It is long and detailed.

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

Truman is a stretch at best....Ike was President when we first started diplomatic involvement. However, it was JFK who allowed the assassination and who was President when first serious shots were fired.

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

Seinfeld....possibly the best modern day show evah!

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

Checkmate Loc: Southern California

Trumps selective service number was 356 out of 365. He wouldn't have been drafted, but buttheads such as yourself are just another sniveling POS
cockroach who probably never amounted to s**t and never will. Clinton and that POS r****t Obama never served this country. Rave on mad duck,
you'll find your puddle.

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

Evidently he was too stupid to realize that or he wouldn’t have gone through the bone spur nonsense. Thanks for making your idol dumber than he already is.

mjmoore17 Loc: Philadelphia, PA area

You always leave out the whole t***h. He had used his medical deferment for a year before draft numbers started. If he had not used his “buy a doc” bone spurs excuse he would have been drafted. His draft record is attached.

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

Who said that everything you ready on the internet isn’t the t***h???

letmedance Loc: Walnut, Ca.

Post something that is readable.

mjmoore17 Loc: Philadelphia, PA area

No

btbg

Ok, I'll play. Why is Ali a hero and Trump a POS when they both avoided the war. Yes Ali was treated wrong because he met all the requirements for a conscientious objector. Nonetheless those of you on the left are treating Trump with derision because he didn't serve and praising Ali because he didn't serve. Where is the consistency? Lots of people on both sides of the political aisle didn't serve.

For those who don't remember, late in the Vietnam war they decided to go with a lottery system to see who would be drafted. I drew No. 9. Then three to four weeks before I was to report to boot camp they stopped the draft. Did I serve? No. I saw how the country was treating those coming home and I didn't really want to have to deal with that. Has nothing to do with being a chicken and I doubt that it did for many of the others who got out of serving. There are a multitude of reasons to not serve. There are also a lot of good reason to serve.

Many in my family have served or are serving. All of us should respect those who serve in the military and what they stand for. It doesn't matter if the war was just or not. The sacrifice that they make is still the same. Most soldiers serve with honor and distinction and for some on the left to impugn them is wrong. Just like it is wrong to question the honesty of someone who didn't serve, but did it legally rather than through draft dodging. That goes for Trump, Clinton, and anyone else who followed the rules and didn't serve.

It also goes for conscientious objectors who accepted the consequences of objecting. In fact, that is the proof that they were really conscientious objectors. The number one thing that the law requires for verification that a person is really a conscientious objector is that they are willing to suffer the consequences of not serving. That means draft dodgers do not count as conscientious objectors, only people like Ali.

btbg

Agreed. Good post.

mjmoore17 Loc: Philadelphia, PA area

Easy answer, you gave it. Ali was a conscientious objector. Trump was a spoiled rich kid who was not a conscientious objector but needed to get out of draft. He then hired a doctor for an excuse. To compare the two is ridiculous.

btbg

I'm impressed John. For once we largely agree. It was a lot more complicated than most people make it. Politics make strange bedfellows and for wh**ever reason we felt like we had to support France.

But like was previously said. Once there we should have stayed the course and found a way to win.

letmedance Loc: Walnut, Ca.

could not read your chart.