SwiftVets.com

Jack Mclaughlin · PO3 Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 280

An old liberal friend from Cleveland Park ( An enclave inside Wash. D.C. )called me yesterday and asked, " Why this vendetta against Douglas Brinkley"? I picked up my 40 yr. old dictionary and read this, vendetta is a prolonged and vehement dispute. Maybe he was half right. I didn`t know much about Brinkley several months ago but I feel like I know enough about him now.

I first noticed him several weeks back on CNN`s Wolf Blitzer`s Show when he opined " that three fourths of those who served with Kerry supports him and about one fourth vehemently opposes him." My intuition tells me just the opposite is probably true. I next saw him on The O`Reilly Factor trashing and demeaning John O`Neill and this new organization, Swift Boat Vets for Truth. I remembered O`Neill from a C-Span re-airing of his 1971 debate with Kerry. O`Neill impressed me as honest, direct and forthright. Later, I read the public statement of Roy Hoffman at his May 4th news conference in which he said, " that Brinkley`s book, Tour of Duty, was replete with gross exaggerations, distortions of facts, contradictions, and slanderous lies." After that I had to find the book, which I did, and read it cover to cover.

I wasn`t there in Vietnam like Hoffman and O`Neill ( my service extended from 1953 to 1957 ) but the stealthy techniques Brinkley uses to attack and destroy were very familiar to me. I posted some of them on this web site. I think Brinkley and Kerry are " like two peas in a pod." It scares me that Brinkley is teaching history at The University of New Orleans and it should scare you too.

toast · Seaman Recruit Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 17

Hey Jack,

Where are the facts?

Your post is filled with a bunch of "I feel", "My intuition", "probably true", "I think" type statements.

It appears the spin is working on you.

Jack Mclaughlin · PO3 Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 280

Toast, I wish you would use your real name instead if hiding behind a screen name as you have accused others of doing. The fact that I use caveats should comfort you. It allows room for you, Mr. Brinkley or any of his students, or associates to amend, correct or dispute any of my assertians. So far, no takers. And by the way, Jack Mclaughlin is my real name.

toast · Seaman Recruit Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 17

Well it appears as if you want me to congratulate you on using your real name....

so, congrats Jack.

There I feel better.

waltjones · Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 7:54 pm Post subject: burnt toast

Hey, toast - Come to think of it, I don't believe your Dad was in 'Nam; if he was, let's have some details. Personally I think you're just an ignorant Kerry hack with a poorly constructed legend. Thatisall .....
_________________
Walt Jones (USMC, '65 - '69) It says much about the person who defends a man with no honor.

sparky · Former Member Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 546

Jack, you must be new to Internet conferencing. It is more common than not for people not to reveal their identity, especially if they're participating in politically-charged topics like this. Same thing with posting details about your personal life.

In fact, I remember about ten years ago conferencing on a BBS where most people used their real names and got scared when a couple of nut cases came on board. Everyone at that point stopped revealing their identity.

When I see someone post their full name anywhere that arguments might ensue, I begin to think they're just not accustomed to posting outside of "safe" BBS's.