Thank you. Some of you here really show your age from time to time. Walter Cronkite, before and while he was the anchor of CBS News all those many years, was one of the most respected people in this country. Revered would not be too strong a word. Is he a liberal? Yes, he is. Since when did that mean what he thinks about current events should count for nothing. This is a man who interviewed almost every political figure of any importance in the second half of the 20th century. His newscast was the overwhelming favorite of most of your parents. And he did influence the country with a raised eyebrow. Does that make your parents foolish? I don't think so. I'm sorry, but sometimes the knee-jerk reaction of some of you to anyone who disagrees with the Administration about where this country is headed is a little hard to take. Thoughtful desent is an honored tradition here. I guess that's what I'm doing as well. I think Cronkite deserves better. In my opinion.
Cronkite... I respect that he still can remember what an opinion is while being in his 80's, but... Who cares...Walter can just kiss my azz...
Deckard, You seem very confused to me, sort of like an octagenarian newscaster has-been. Let me say it in simple terms: Many people now seem to advocate a one-party system. Opposition to the "ruling" party is to be badgered, belittled, and shouted down. Or at least, that's what a lot of rhetoric in this country (including this BBS) seems to say to me. Anyway, I think they are renaming the GOP the "American Party," and if you don't pick up your new membership card by the end of the month, you will automatically be enlisted for televised gladiator-style chainsaw arena combat with other useless hippies, liberal intellectuals, and terrorists.
Cronkite covered World War 2. It's like the old guard has some misgivings about going at it alone. Too late for that now...
Unlikely, jackass, since the vast majority of people on the planet oppose the war. Sheesh. As for Cronkite's "value" as a source... well, it's worthwhile insofar as it's reasonable. There's nothing all that fascinating in the quotes here, but nothing to deserve your contempt. If you think it's redundant with what's already been said (which it is) then say so. Or if you don't care, argue it to the ground again.
Yes, the vast majority of the people on the planet oppose it. True. Logically, from your statement, it would follow that the vast majority of Americans must oppose it as well, therefore I must be wrong in thinking that I could find more opinion articles in support of the war than those opposing it. Yes, of course, what was I thinking? My contempt was directed at No Worries, not Cronkite. I apologize to Mr. Cronkite if he thought otherwise. Of course I think it's redundant. That's pretty much what I meant with "pointless, useless, meaningless to the extreme". Glad you could see that. And hasn't this already been argued into the ground? I think so. But thanks for the meaningful post. It was about as meaningful as mine, jackass.
To suggest that Walter Kronkite has no credibility when opining on this war is silly. He has seen and been privy to information on more war/negotiations than any of us, and certainly more than many in the administration. But beyond that, in terms of the basis for 'credibility' as it stands, ie the question of whom do you trust and who is qualified to assess information for public consumption, there is a study done every year, and released every 5 years by a combination of major U.S. schools which evaluates public opinion regarding information and credibility...and for a remarkable 15 plus year period Walter Cronkite was recognized by Americans as the most trusted, credible voice in America, even beyond when he was actively reporting...I am not saying that he is therefore THE voice to listen to...but to suggest that he has little or no credibility with regards to the very sort of thing he spent his much aclaimed career doing is, as I said, silly.
What is silly is to believe that Walter Cronkite is privy to some body of information that would lend his *opinion* any more weight than Joe Schmoe's opinion. Is he a foreign policy expert? An intelligence expert? An expert on military affairs? No, No, and No. Is he more qualified than Joe Schmoe to make an informed assessment of the situation? No. Can you listen to his opinion and agree with it? Sure. Is it gospel? No. Is it a great propaganda piece? Sure. But that's all it is.
He worked for a period of roughly 40 years analyzing political/diplomatic/military activity, and reporting on it , often from the scene itself ( ex. spent over 2 years total in VietNam during war..). His reports made him the most trusted source of that kind of information, according to most Americans. He has an unbelievable amount of 'sources' compiled in over 4 decades of needing 'information'...I agree that all the above probably apply to any Joe Schmoe, as you say, but I don't know the Schmoe family that you seem to...And he certainly hasn't shown the ability to fabricate..er, sorry, report the kind of information that the current administration's experts are privy to...btw, another one of these experts resigned yesterday....
Yeah, I guess you're right. Since he's so trusted, he must be better informed than all of the national security officials who believe that we should go into Iraq. And since all of the current information used to justify a war is fabricated, then his information must be more valid than all of the information that US intelligence has on the Iraqi regime. Again, your logic is irrefutable... And I'm sure that more resignations of intelligence officials will be forthcoming, since they can apparently produce no truthful intelligence anyway...
Ahhh...I see...so the fact that our experts either made up or believed false information as part of their basis for the war in no way calls into question their credibility? Sure...objective as usual...and the dismissal of other people who are against the handling of the current situation, including A) Schwarzkopf,( I can never remember how to spell his name) the military leader of the on-site campaign during the last conflict with the Iraqis. B) Bush Sr. the former head of the nation's intelligence service, President during the last war with Iraq, boss of many of the current administration's experts, and the President's Daddy. C) Carter, the former President who accomplished the most in the Middle East negotiations during his otherwise undistinguished term of Office. D) And several current experts who are so disenchanted with the current situation that they have ended their careers, including the US's top diplomat in the region, one of the US's top diplomats in the European region, the top expert on anti-terrorism, and many, many more.. E) And now Cronkite, the single most trusted source of this kind of information the US has had in at least 50 years. ...are all marginalized in your mind by an off hand joke...good stuff. I guess that if, as you say, treaties that you don't agree with after you sign them should be broken, then it follows that information sources that you don't want to hear should also be ignored. It's a shame that you feel it is ok to do stuff like that, but when you feel that Saddm is disregarding treaties he probably doesn't like now, that's cause for war...
"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." --Hermann Goering
Achtung. Heil Treeman. I hope every soldier in our army is as thoroughly indoctrinated and brainwashed as you.
Can you hear the knock on your door, man. That's right, your friendly Homeland Security Dept is secretly very competent. "Come see the violence inherit in the system! Help, help, I'm being repressed!"
Perfect. Especially the last 4 sentences...anyone who studies military history knows that we are, for right or wrong, currently just espousing the same basic pre-war rhetoric used by virtually every nation in history when they wanted to invade a less powerful nation...but there are those who continue to say we have to be right because, look, we are saying that we are right, and we would never do that if we weren't.
RMT...I meant to add, but as edit is down right now couldn't, that you should expect the usual hawk response which completely avoids dealing with the principle of your point...something like one of the following: 1) Right...so now we are Nazi Germany... Anyone who even compares us to Hitler is beneath consideration...that's just disgusting. or 2) Are we the ones who used WMD on the Kurds!?!? Are we the ones who executed civilians in public!?!? I think you should check out your facts and see who is taking lessons of war from the Nazis.... I won't even bother to refute the childish oversimplification/subjectivity of these typs of responses, but I just wanted to you to know that bringing up incredibly relevent and frightening quotations like you did will invariably illicit these responses...
Macbeth, I've received this kind of response from various posters on this BBS many times. I accept that they have their opinions, and they should accept that I have mine. THat is what makes this country the greatest country on earth. I support and pray for our troops, but I do question this particular mission. All I'm trying to point out is that questioning authority and questioning what comes out of the Federal Government is my right. I did it during the previous administration, I'm doing it now, and I will continue to do so. Blind faith in anything, especially a government, can get you killed, and I refuse to wear blinders.
