[NEW DEPTHS] For Sec. of State, Obama appoints anti-war activist whose actions harmed US troops

Thanks for understanding and being fair Batman. You are a good man as well. If I take my own feelings, experience out of the equation, you are correct about Kerry making sense as a choice...
But the treason thing on Reagan is silly ... He did do stuff under the table only because of no chance of house/senate approval but stating treason I don't agree with

 

Guys guys guys....

This is a Bigtexxx thread. This is no place for reasoned conversation!

 

Must spread rep to rep ROXRAN again? So soon? How did that happen. Just wanted to say I think you're a good guy too. But Baba Booey's point is well taken, so later y'all.

 

bigtexxx has a right to be angry about this because he served in the Texas Air National Guard at the height of the Vietnam war.

 

Why should we? He's going to be appointed, because that is what Dear Leader wants. 2 months ago you were talking about how the republicans were going to sweep Obama out of office now you're reduced to swift boating John Kerry

 

It's unfortunate that the post-Somosa transition period resulted in such danger to your family and their subsequent flight from the country. It's a sad truth that that is the result of war, of conflict and oppression - polarized opinions based on very real hurt that last for generations. The feelings you and your family have are the very same feelings that drove some Sandinistas to target individuals who had been supportive of the brutal Somosa regime or those families who were perceived to be enjoying the regime's favor. Hate breeds hate. With that said, I'm not sure why you find Kerry's approach toward Libya inconsistent with his approach toward the Sandinista's in Nicaragua. He seems consistent because in both cases he is supportive of the rebel groups who took over after a brutal dictator was toppled despite their failings. What do you find inconsistent?

 

A BigTexxx fail is a win for all that is good in the world.

 

I am sorry to hear about your family but you do know that the Somoza dynasty was ruthless, corrupt, and brutal. Even though FDR called the elder Somoza 'our son of a b****' the US government intervened a few times to get them out of office or at least limit their power because they were so bad.

The US backed them was that they weren't the Communists but Nicaragua is a poster child for how US intervention goes wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasio_Somoza_García

 

I find it inconsistent because he is suppose to about going against the intervention at all, not for supporting rebels whether communist or not...as far as the other part, yea obviously my mothers family were with military ties. My Biological grandfather was a very accomplished military officer in the Samoza family regime...it didn't make them rich, or entitled. Just a matter of providing and survival...he died a bit before the deciding rebellion and worse as the final days/hours came to be my grandmother, aunts, uncles and their infants/children were literally on the run. There was a concerted effort to kill and execute families of those with strong military ties..women, children..it didn't matter to them...they literally escaped within minutes to Guatemala for refuge and thanks to Pres. Reagan granted political asylum shortly after his election. Carter who denied Samoza entry to Florida, would not have lifted a finger of course. ...
I am so glad the Contras made things difficult for those monsters..but fast forward now the communist zeal is pretty much gone..so much in fact, my aunt went back last year and even tho Samoza was not a fair dictator...(the mismanagement of funds/help in the 72 earthquake being the tipping point...btw, I was there visiting as a infant- almost died - also prior to 1980, only my mother lived in the USA), he did have the country in a lot better shape than now...there is now no threat of retribution so when my aunt went, she visited and seen how much worse it is...she felt bad, but she also realized my Grandfathers grave was demolished and desecrated...that was especially sad since she almost expected it, but hoped something could be there..like you said, hate breeds hate, but after all the hate and retribution is gone, ..the people suffer worse...maybe they deserve that, maybe not, but my personal feelings about it is obvious.
My mothers family is now all in the Houston area and thankfully doing well,..with my mother, 5 aunts and 2 uncles, the family has expanded big time. Besides my 2 girls, My numerous cousins all married into Anglo wives/husbands except one and the children are all beautiful...my kids are there right now on winter vacation, and my hope is they can all get together as numerous as they are...all of the 3rd generation children probably unaware of the likelihood they were once in peril of never being born. A story that needs to be passed down one day.

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/1987/0324/zdec8.html/(page)/2

I think your family views Somoza's rule are understandable: you weren't being targeted by the death squads of Somoza, you weren't being suppressed, and you enjoyed a fairly reasonable economic situation in a country where the benefits of wealth flowed exclusively to the top and to those having contact with the top. I am surprised that in some ways your family is not angry at the United States. We propped up the Somoza regime way past the point of return. As it got worse and worse, the chance that supporters of Somoza (or those who enjoyed his favor) would be targeted during the inevitable fall went up because the boiling hatred increased by the year. U.S. economic and military intervention propping up Somoza had the unintended (or simply not cared about) consequence of making the change of power more violent and more destructive than it should have been.

To get back to Kerry, I don't think Kerry has ever been completely anti-intervention. He seems to be of the opinion held by many American that some interventions are good while others are not. He believed that we should not continue to support the Contra death squads in Nicaragua and he therefore wanted to take a non-intervention path toward dealing with the Sandinistas. He was also was very likely against the trade-embargo that we imposed on the Nicaraguan government from 1985 to 1990. This embargo was devastating to the Nicaraguan economy since just prior when the country was under Somoza reportedly 90% of exports went to the U.S. On the other hand the choice of intervention in Libya was the following: tacitly support the dictator Qadaffi by not being involved or be involved and help the rebels. Intervention and non-intervention in each situation therefore means something completely different.

 

The reign of the Samoza regime may have been anti communist as was required of allies to the U.S. but yes it was unfair to those not in line. My Grandfather had 7 children to feed and first priority was his family, but he was known to be one of the longterm military officers closer in contact to President Samoza than many others and his/my family there were likely targeted because of that...unfortunately, or maybe fortunately,..as he would have been compelled to fight till the end, ...my Grandfather had a heartattack & died just months before the deciding takeover day (some of my family stated due to long hours, stress, and worry- only 51 at the time)...but his name was already out there..like I said, word on the street was they would all be executed regardless of sex or age.. the final few days and hours, they literally had to go around checkpoints, hide in trucks and wait for darkness to zig zag to Gautamala...many neighbors knew the type of person my Grandfather apparently really was and risked their own lives to ensure they all escaped...from what I was told, they were almost tracked

When they were in Guatamala, only my mother with her kids. (Me and sister) were in the US. To answer yes, anger at the US was because Carter's administration would not grant entry. To this day we all still hate Pres. Carter. ...but my family understood the US did what they thought was right in supporting the numerous Samozas that took power over the years...eventually Reagan's administration took power and almost right away, they cleared the way for legal residence status to occur. My Grandfathers wife was even able to see my marriage before she passed in Houston in 1999. I have been told even tho I look more White than Hispanic, I look so much like him..

Like I said, the Contras were mainly about revenge than true re-overthrow of the Sandinistas. Luckily my family thru help of others foiled the execution attempts by those bastards but others weren't as lucky. Many innocent women and children died a often torturous death simply because of the connections to others...if I take my personal feelings out of the equation, I can understand Kerry not wanting to support the Contras, but to be against the trade embargo meant he would rather support the new government that overthrows thru violence...and I guess in that way him supporting overthrow of govt. thru violence with regards to Libya is similar...but intervention and picking a side is always going to be a double edge blade. Someone is going to get the shaft...you bring up a great point and good debate topic, rather than picking a side maybe the US position on external affairs should be to leave the countries alone. Don't aid the Sandinistas..Don't aid the Contras....Don't aid the Libyan rebels...

In the end, Nicaragua is now a empty shell, ...my mother could visit, I could visit...they honestly could care less, The will and fervor of both sides have been utterly broken over there.

My aunts, uncles, numerous cousins, nieces and nephews all in Houston. They are Americans now...and Corn island is just a memory now...

Thanks for allowing this discussion.

 

Stand back, little t is back with the 8 year old goodz!