Communism was bound to burn itself out. And it did in what, 100 years?

That's short. The main charge at Nuremburg was unwarranted aggression. It was a civil war. It was none of our business. We blew nearly $1 trillion inflation adjusted on it.

Just whack.

Get over it.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Ever notice whose great life-lesson is Vietnam?

Why don't you get over it?

B

Because it is a divide that still grips our nation in a big way. Sin and crime, unadmitted and unattoned for, has a cancerous effect on the spirit, IMO.

Further, the mistaken lessons of it play big-time in opinions about how to proceed in the current quagmire.

John McCain, speaking in Israel, said that people have a right to defend themselves, speaking of course of Israelis who were/are beset by home-made rockets. Apparently he did not or does not retroactively extend this right to the people of Vietnam whom he bombed mercilessly and w/o provocation.

His understanding of the world is badly flawed as a result. He fails to grasp important lessons regarding human nature, believing his pride and presumed righteousness trump such things.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I rarely think about Vietnam. It was a part of my life in that I was in the military during that time but it sure isn't a life-lesson like having a kid, getting married, or having a parent die. I know some guys who were on the ground Vietnam ... mostly in the USMC ... who were there, did that, served several tours, moved on. They don't wear old fatigues and go Wall-weeping. They go fishing. They think those other guys are riding a carousel of their own creation much as a reformed sinner gets-up to weep, "I have sinned!" After a half-dozen self-indulgent chest beating episodes it's time to move along.

Should we ignore historically important events? heck no.

You put it in context and use it as an occasionally useful guide. But you don't let it lead you through life by the nose.

B

I'd be happy, believe me, to never reference it again. However, the spector of fat-faced, self-righteous John O'Neill essentially hi-jacking a presidential election based on his barely adult ambitious (I got to go in and meet Pres. Nixon!!!) misconception of his importance and a large part of the country buying into the crap, along with my being besmirched along with all the other 'commie sympathizers' cuz I had the good sense not to get shot up while committing a crime, well I'm telling you, at some point you have to stand up and say not only no, but HELL NO and straighten the record out.

The Russians would have had about as much luck as we did in controlling that country in a big way. Shortly after we left, the NV army repelled a Chinese takeover attempt and put Pol Pot out of business. So much for the creeping spread of communism . . . .

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

He was cheap, a Deim Ho.

Who? What?

Snicker all you want, we backed the wrong guys but we only spent $1 trillion and 55,000 good American lives doing it.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Correctlemundo, as they say. Not even mentioning the self-praising fanfare of having "won the war", to the fact that the invasion from overseas was explicitly timed to the event of the above named agressor being nearly, but soon entirely exhausted.

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I WISH that were true!
Communism has simply relocated; it is not dead. After backrupting the Soviet Union, it now seeks to do the same to the USA. Listening to the way the libs* want to take from the oil companies reminds me of an old quote,
" From each according to his ability to each according according to his needs"

It sounds so seductive, so alluring, in the abstract, but in the real world, it simply doesn't work. People who have the ability to be more productive than average, will not extend themselves if they get no benefit.

The question is, Will the US learn the lesson, or will we continue to listen to pandering politicians who promise us the Garden of Eden while "someone else" pays for it? You heard it here first--There is no free lunch!

* for the purposes of this post, "libs" is defined as any politician of any party who panders to any special interest group by promising benefits paid for by others not of the special interest group."

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

^^^^ I ALWAYS say that every time I am siphoning the gasoline out of Cadillacs!!!!! hahahahahaha!!! < snorts >

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

It's a tough one. Full on, unrestrained capitalism is likely to lead to the sort of feudal landlord societies of present day El Salvador or medieval Europe, where the upper 1% have 95% of the wealth. Not a lot of growth in such a society. I'd much rather have a strong middle class with good educations so that they can provide the sort of goods and services that make live worth living.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

This is actually a really good post. It's got soul. Yet it also needs a few adjustments.
You are very well right, with the evolving situation on this soil and the spread of communist behaviour and centralized patterns of doing big business. That's exactly what is happening.

Big government, big business and millions of likewise dependents. The only significant difference:

Over there they called it 'Communism', over here they call it 'Capitalism'. Same thing different name for it.

So, you still worry about, what one 'leftwing liberal' wants to take from another 'rightwing liberal'?

No need to worry, it's all going to wash out in the end.

The US learning a lesson? I doubt it. Once again, same difference. Somewhere else they call it 'Garden of Eden', here they call it 'American Dream'.

Your description of "libs" is very acurate as well, which means those big-business-libs, thriving on everybody's mandatory contribution, are perfectly included in club.

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please give an example of a big bus. lib.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Well, not quite! You see when you pay people to stay poor by creating a welfare state and giving them unlimted access to the teat, you create a second class generation of welfare recipients who put back nothing, unlike business owners like me who will in turn hire more people and create a work force producing products everyone needs and creating more income which in turn puts more money BACK in to the treasury!

A couple of major differences between communism and capitolism. Communism takes what you have and gives it away with no return on investment required, therefore no economic growth is involved or expected.
Capitolism expects and DEMANDS you to generate more of what you created and SHARES that with those willing to WORK for it.

Do you know why a welfare recipient cannot find a paycheck? Because it's under their workboots!

The American Dream is working for your own wealth, not by being robbed by your government who gives your money away to those who contribute and put back nothing, especially jobs and earnings potential.

The American Dream is learning to stand on your own two feet and shout out that you can achieve as long as the liberal parasites get off your back and quit sucking your blood like leeches and giving your money to those who pop out more kids for a bigger welfare check!

I don't think what we have qualifies remotely as a welfare state.

Its really hard to get and stay on welfare these days.

We might have a pretty good welfare state for big corporations though!

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.