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<P> To answer your point, the U.S. leadership knew the Vietnam War was untenable YEARS BEFORE they pulled U.S. troops out, years before Nixon got elected. Most of the current U.S. leadership (except for Bush and some of the neocon ideologues) probably know that the Iraq War is untenable now, but no one in the current administration would be williing to pay the price of admitting a mistake and get out. Nor do I think that Kerry or anyone he would appoint to a high level position would be willing to pay the potential price of pulling out either -after all they might be called soft on defense or soft on terrorism, or - worst of all - they might not get re-elected. Kerry will, mark my words, be willing to sacrifice the lives of U.S. troops and Iraqis as a price for his staying in office. Johnson and Nixon did it with regard to Vietnam, and Bush is currently doing it with regard to Iraq. The liberal chatter we hear now about the evil effects of a pull out of Iraq is compelling evidence of that fact will become a mantra if Mr. Kerry ascends to the Presidency.</P>
<P> The point you make that we shouldn't believe what Kerry says in his campaign speeches about Iraq (or anything else for that matter) because they are, after all, filled with campaign rhetoric is a truly bankrupt argument. If you can't defend a candidate or a party on their merits, you argue that "They don't really mean what they say, they actually intend to do something else." The upshot is that we are told by the ABBers that we must accept on faith their claims about Kerry. Steve</P>
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<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">> <BR>> Bush, Kerry, Donald Duck, or whoever occupies the Oval Office is <BR>> going to cut and run because the situation in Iraq is rapidly becoming <BR>> untenable for the U.S. forces there, just as happened in Vietnam. <BR>>> <BR>> <BR>> Jon Johanning // jjohanning@igc.org <BR>> __________________________________ <BR>> When I was a little boy, I had but a little wit, <BR>> 'Tis a long time ago, and I have no more yet; <BR>> Nor ever ever shall, until that I die, <BR>> For the longer I live the more fool am I. <BR>> -- Wit and Mirth, an Antidote against Melancholy (1684) <BR>> <BR>> ___________________________________ <BR>> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk </BLOCKQUOTE></body></html>