Say Anything Blog

I think it’s pretty obvious that the remark was directed at Bush, and not the soldiers. Kerry was a solider afterall, unlike Bush.

I think it’s pretty obvious that the remark was directed at Bush, and not the soldiers.

If you’re the sort of person who only hears what he wants to hear, that is.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Can you do me a favor and highlight exactly where in that quote he specifically refered to soldiers?

Kerry’s remark was not directed at Bush.  Bush graduated from college with better grades than Kerry. 

If Kerry was trying to poke at Bush, then the joke is on himself first.  Not only so, but the joke would make absolutely no sense—wait maybe Kerry was joking—no, Kerry is a joke.

Can you do me a favor and highlight exactly where in that quote he specifically refered to soldiers?

Can you show me where he specifically referred to Bush?

I’m reading the actual quote:

You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.

Who else among young, high-school and college-aged people, goes to Iraq?  Soldiers.  That’s it.

If he meant Bush, he would have said Bush.

Honestly, Chad, playing defense on this is just making Kerry and people like you look like ignorant jerks.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I think it’s pretty obvious that the remark was directed at Bush, and not the soldiers. Kerry was a solider after all, unlike Bush.

Chad: Welcome to our planet!
A) Kerry was not a soldier, he was a sailor!
B) Bush was not a soldier, but was a pilot in the Air National Guard. (He volunteered to go to Vietnam, but was not sent.)
C) Being a “soldier” (I think you meant “veteran") did not keep John Kerry from criticizing and maligning the troops and accusing them of war crimes after he returned from Viet Nam, so why would today be any different?
D) It’s not obvious from what he actually said that he was referring to Bush (who may be constantly on his mind, but the rest of us are not mind readers.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

He didn’t say anything about grades, he said “make an effort to be smart” an area in which Bush has had some obvious troubles.

Not that grades matter, but you’re wrong. Bush and Kerry received about the same grades at Yale. The only difference is that Kerry received a high honor of speaking at his senior class orientation, while Bush was probably busy getting coked up.

I hope Kerry doesn’t apologize.  The more he opens his elitist mouth to defend his ignorant words, the more damage he does to the democrats.

“If he meant Bush, he would have said Bush.”

If he meant soldiers, he would have said soldiers.

“It’s not obvious from what he actually said that he was referring to Bush (who may be constantly on his mind, but the rest of us are not mind readers.”

It’s not obvious from what he actually said that he was referring to soldiers.

If you’re the sort of person who only hears what he wants to hear, that is.

Chad,

Keep it up, you’re proving to be as stupid as Kerry.

How is that Bush (not smart) beat Kerry (smart) in the election for President.  How is that Kerry (smart) has a talent for sticking his foot in his mouth. 

“I voted for the war before I voted against it”.

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Oh..Oh.. Iknow....Iknow—Kerry is not as smart as Bush.

Chad: To be quite honest, in Kerry’s mind, he may have been criticizing Bush. But in his mind, Kerry ought to have been President and Commander-in-Chief for the last six years.
In his mind, three “rose thorn” scratches and he should be able to retreat from combat and go home and accuse every member of our armed forces of war crimes.
And, apparently, in his mind, when anyone quotes him correctly, rather than apologize for misspeaking, he gins up a self-righteous “I will not be Swift-boated again” attack on anyone who dares to defy the “Do You Know Who I Am?” John Kerry.
I’m afraid that “in his mind” is foreign territory (perhaps French?) where I do not wish to go! And he is free to speak his mind, but he should certainly do so more carefully…

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Bush and Kerry received about the same grades at Yale.

Chad,

Who didn’t “make the most of it, ..study hard and ... do your homework, and ... make an effort to be smart,?”

According to you it wasn’t either Bush or Kerry.  Clearly Kerry wasn’t talking about Bush unless he was talking about himself.  In which case there is no sense to Kerry’s statement since they both apparantly did what Kerry was trying to encourage. 
Nice try Chad. 
Nice try Kerry.

Uh Chad,

Do you think the majority of Americans currently in Iraq are non-military?

I’ll take your answer off the air.

Why is this such an issue? I agree with what he said. All of my high school freinds who are in the army are there because either 1. their parents couldn’t pay for their college/they didn’t qualify for enough financial aid or 2. they were the worst performing students.

The poor and ignorant do fight our wars. I think we should be looking at the issue instead of how bad it hurts our feelings or the feelings of the soldiers.

Most stupid people know they are stupid.

Even if what you say is true, maybe the following is a reason why he was wrong to say what he said and should apologize, even if he didn’t mean it, ..

..Kerry is a U.S. Senator.

Hey ElectionMan:  Your statements are ignorant.  Are you aware, that since 9/11, for every two people who volunteer from the poorest segment of society, three volunteer from the wealthiest.  What is problematic, is that you cannot fathom that someone intelligent, would volunteer.  Many intelligent people join up, not because they are ignorant, but because they are patriots.  Your delusional hatred of soldiers is unbecoming and insulting.

98% of all commissioned officers have bachelors degrees.  Of those, 95% have at least two years of post graduate study.  Further, a full 25% of all commissioned officers have PhD’s.  In fact, a greater percentage of those in the military are better educated than the general population. 

Your statement are not supported by the facts.  But then again, those on the left only see what they believe, rather than believing what they see.

I will pit my intellect against yours any day.  Care to make a bet?

Most stupid people know they are stupid.

Not, apparently. John Kerry.

What’s the percentage of commissioned officers to regular enlisted?

Couple quick things:
1) People don’t get pissed about comments unless there is at least a shred of truth to them. This morning I was speaking with two Vietnam war veterans who were attesting to the fact that the military is full of stupid, white trash, most of whom haven’t been to college.
2) Kerry is an idiot. Good riddance.

AND ONE TOTALLY UNRELATED

3) Right wing bloggers who are HACKS use vocab like ‘leftards’. While I expect it from 2h9, 108, and the other frothing hacks, I NEVER expected to hear it from ROB (our beloved administrator), but today we have. I guess ROB wants to make it clear that he too is a HACK and has no desire to rise above hack-ness. It is no justification if myself or some other non-far-right hack uses vocab like that. Until today… I thought more of ROB than to think him ready to type shit like that. Furthermore if ROB supports Bush then it is obvious he is an anti-federalist and should think about changing his avatar.

Yun Chu said, “You must strictly not express in words what is very significant. Both dragon and snake are killed in one blow.”

People don’t get pissed about comments unless there is at least a shred of truth to them.

That’s not true.

Consider the cases of slander and libel where one goes around spreading damaging rumors. You’re telling us that if the rumors aren’t true, we shouldn’t worry about it even if the rumors affect social, personal, and professional life.

Right wing bloggers who are HACKS use vocab like ‘leftards’.

Deliciously ironic statement. Maybe you’re a hack as well?

Sparkie: One, I never said “leftard”, and Two, when you called me a “jackass” for having a diverse opinion, you were admitting that my previous comment was true.  I already knew that, but you have finally developed a shred of honesty.  Congratulations!

"Give the lefties a pile of money, and they’ll spend it buying votes.” - Rush Limbaugh on the “bailout”.

Sparkie: One, I never said “leftard”

Talking about ROB. You have said it countlessly over the last month or two.
And thanks for the Congratulations - and letting my comments about all the white trash in the military stand.

Yun Chu said, “You must strictly not express in words what is very significant. Both dragon and snake are killed in one blow.”

Sluggo, I have done no research on the educational levels of military personnel. My family members who are in the air force and army are wonderful people who I truly love. I was a civilian contractor for the air force for 4 years at NORAD. I still have many friends who are in the military from that experience. I also had a small and close group of friends who entered the military after high school. The town I grew up in was easily summed up as ‘those in management’ and ‘those that worked in the factory’. There were not many opportunities there and so I shared with you my observations about what type of people—that I know—who are in the military. Is there anything else you can expect from me?

I have two close friends, both dropped out of Dartmouth, who regret their decision to join the army after 9/11. Much has changed since then, I was 20 when it happened—they were 20 and 21. When they joined the military there intentions were to go and protect this country—but they also weren’t doing so well in college and deep down i think it was an excuse to leave. All of my military friends and family are in agreement that the nonsense in Iraq has not done anything to protect this country. Most of us (about 80%) want Bush to apologize and resign.

Again, I agree with John Kerry. If you studied hard you wouldn’t have to have the military as the only means of escaping poverty and as an avenue for advancement.

You still don’t get it.  Most of the people who join the military, do so, because they want to be soldiers, sailors, etc.  For many it is an appealing lifestyle.  I have personally met Army Infantry soldiers who “Want to kill Haji”. 

For others, it is their way to show their love of country.  Yes, there are people who are patriots.  Look at what Pat Tillman gave up, to do what he felt was right. 

What you also don’t seem to understand is that in order to be an enlisted soldier, you must be a high school graduate.  The same cannot be said for the civilian sector.  I have more intelligent people in the Army than I have in the civilian world.

The old stereotype of the military, ‘as a last resort occupation’, ceased to be true when it went to an all voluntary service.  You need to put aside your long held beliefs, and wake up.  The 1960’s are history.  You either live in present, or you stagnate in the past.

For those who may actually be interested, Jay Tea has a post up over at Wizbang which references a column by Tucker Carlson about a couple of studies conducted by military analysts at the Heritage Foundation and the Pentagon about the makeup of today’s US military.

Everyone knows America’s wars are fought by America’s poor, people with so few career options that serving in combat qualifies as a lucky break. We feel sorry for the troops because we know desperation drove them into the military. We feel guilty because they are doing what we, the more fortunate, don’t have to do.

It turns out we’re wrong on both counts. A new and comprehensive study of enlistment data by military analysts at the Heritage Foundation has found that the typical volunteer is both more affluent and better educated than the average 18 to 24-year-old American. That’s right: The average soldier is more privileged than his civilian counterpart. And the gap is widening. As the study puts it, since September 11th, “more volunteers have emerged from the middle and upper classes and fewer from the lowest-income groups. ... Since 2001, enlistments have increased in the top two-fifths of income levels but have decreased among the lowest fifth.”

In addition, a Pentagon study also cited by Carlson debunks the tiresome leftist notion that blacks are over-represented in combat roles in today’s military.

According to a 2003 Pentagon study, “blacks tend to be concentrated in administration and support jobs, not in combat jobs.” Infantry, armored and artillery units, whose members suffer the bulk of casualties in Iraq and any war, tend to mirror the racial mix of the country almost exactly.

Perhaps Charlie Rangle will now offer his apologies and tell us how he was in favor of re-instituting the draft before he opposed it.

And thanks for the Congratulations - and letting my comments about all the white trash in the military stand.

I doubt the lack of intelligent response to your above post signifies any support for your opinion on “white trash in the military”. I strongly suspect that Robert108 read the instructions........ you know:

“Grant me the serenity to ignore the trolls,
the courage to debate with honest opponents,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Diogenes: You are right on the mark.  I generally don’t respond unless there is some content.  Simply making an outrageously ignorant statement doesn’t merit a responses from me, unless I’m in the mood to engage a fool.

"Give the lefties a pile of money, and they’ll spend it buying votes.” - Rush Limbaugh on the “bailout”.