tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196554259323465442.post7088998002462819926..comments2023-10-27T03:41:13.171-07:00Comments on Warning Signs: The Party's OverAlan Carubahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10901162110385985193noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196554259323465442.post-33384954929818405092010-10-13T14:54:28.000-07:002010-10-13T14:54:28.000-07:00It's nice to have people comment who are actua...It's nice to have people comment who are actually OLDER than me!<br /><br />(And, yes, I remember what an ice box was. We had one in my home before the frig was invented.)Alan Carubahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10901162110385985193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196554259323465442.post-13144786491497011072010-10-13T13:53:13.687-07:002010-10-13T13:53:13.687-07:00JF Dulles' idea of a "monolithic world Co...JF Dulles' idea of a "monolithic world Communism" led to the SEATO treaty, which got us into the Vietnam war. I got my greetings from Ike in November of 1953. In the summer of 1954 TPTB were considering taking 4,000 troops out of Korea to send to the aid of the French in Indo-China. I wasn't an experienced enough GI to be a potential selectee, thank the Lord. And thank the Lord that the 4,000 weren't sent.<br /><br />I generally make litttle or no comment about a public figure's appearance; looks and smarts are separate things.<br /><br />However (giggle-snort) I will comment, due mostly to the unending nattering from the Duckbilled Platitudinous, that he seems to resemble an Edsel with the doors open. I see it as apropos, since the Edsel was a colossal failure and its idea is long out of date.Desertrathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09860257698839313423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196554259323465442.post-2112758912089772332010-10-13T13:22:38.604-07:002010-10-13T13:22:38.604-07:00Alan, I have a couple of years on you in age. The...Alan, I have a couple of years on you in age. The problem of Vietnam started on Harry Truman's watch, not Ike's, when Truman made the terrible decision to aid De Gaulle in recovering the former French colony of Indo-China, as Vietnam was called before Ho Chi Minh declared it to be the independent nation of Vietnam. The Japanese had dislodged the French there, during WWII, but did not occupy it. When the Japanese surrendered, Ho Chi Minh declared that the former colony of France was a free nation called Vietnam. <br /><br />During WWII, Ho Chi Minh was an ally of the US in our war with Japan.<br /><br />With the betrayal by Truman,and it had to be Truman, as many of those who attacked Vietnam in the effort to reestablish French rule were wearing US Army uniforms, wielding US Army weapons. Who else could have approved giving France suddenly surplus US Army gear? Ho Chi Minh had no choice but to turn to China for aid, as it appeared to be the US Army which was attacking Vietnam. <br /><br />I have always wondered how a president of a country which had itself had to go to war to escape colonialism could justify aiding another country, France, to reestablish colonialism in a recently declared independent nation. Politics makes for strange bedfellows.<br /><br />Ike was President when I enlsted in the USAF in 1954.<br /><br />As a farm lad during WWII, living on my grandfather's farm (he was a very successful medical doctor), and with no competent hired help available, my 3 year older brother and I had to do a great deal of labor, called chores, as did all of the other farm children. <br /><br />Those who didn't experience or are too young to remember living during WWII can't begin to understand the hardships American citizens, including children, had to go through during WWII in support of the war effort, or how much we supported the war effort. <br /><br />I feel as if I am an alien from another planet, things are so different nows, and all of the whining about how difficult things are now disgusts me.<br /><br />I might also add, from my study and personal experience of "real" history, if anyone thinks things are tough as of now, in my opinion, "you ain't seen nuthing yet."LarryOldtimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10811006386363706079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196554259323465442.post-84767073508305042382010-10-12T15:22:03.369-07:002010-10-12T15:22:03.369-07:00Mr.Caruba I remember when Ike was elected in 51 an...Mr.Caruba I remember when Ike was elected in 51 and also the home run heard around the world. Bobby Thompson did that for the Giants and I saw that on TV. Lot's of other things also. And Viet Nam started on Ike's watch and was actually a problem of France and also the oil rights on the VN coast. That I know as fact although you won't find it on Google. <br />"Semper Fi"Necromancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16596027359880539976noreply@blogger.com