[Industrialblog,
October 31, 2006]
Race heating up
Gee. Think tempers are starting to flare in the congressional races?
Charles Rangel calls Dick Cheney a "son of a bitch." John Kerry calls Tony Snow a "stuffed suit Republican mouthpiece." And that's the polite stuff.
I have to admit that when I read John Kerry's remarks, I thought Kerry said something incredibly elitist and snobby. Here's what Kerry said, "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
But I read it again, and figured, oh, John Kerry wasn't talking about college students, he was talking about George Bush. As an editor, I see this sort of antecedent problem all the time. Kerry changed subjects in his mind and didn't tell the listener. It happens.
Charles Rangel calls Dick Cheney a "son of a bitch." John Kerry calls Tony Snow a "stuffed suit Republican mouthpiece." And that's the polite stuff.
I have to admit that when I read John Kerry's remarks, I thought Kerry said something incredibly elitist and snobby. Here's what Kerry said, "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
But I read it again, and figured, oh, John Kerry wasn't talking about college students, he was talking about George Bush. As an editor, I see this sort of antecedent problem all the time. Kerry changed subjects in his mind and didn't tell the listener. It happens.
There are lots of reasons people join the military. One of those reasons clearly has to do with the military offering people an opportunity to get training. Obviously, if you can get into and afford to go to college or to a technical program you can get some of the same opportunities at those people got in the military. So, Kerry is partly correct, you won't get posted to Iraq.
Love of country and desire to serve others is obviously also a major component to being in the military. Those reasons aren't stupid and they trump opportunity as the only rationale to join the military. Since those people really do serve a higher purpose, Kerry's comment - even without the context - strikes me as showing some contempt.
On a positive note, may be this will sink Kerry's chances in 2008 and spare us another Kerry run.
I think the higher purpose that our soldiers do serve - means that they have to be employed in only the carefulest of situations. I'm not sure Kerry's comments trump Rumsfield's "you go to war with the army you have" comment. I don't think Bush has shown tremendous respect for the military in the way he has deployed it in Iraq.
In the end, I agree with Chris in that this doesn't really cover any new ground.
That was beautiful.