Absinthe & Cookies (a bit bitter, a bit sweet)

How about "lunacy"? I know it's not a true synonym, but it seems fitting.

Works for me!

I don't know about lunacy: as an attorney, that connotes a lack of culpability, and I don't want to let these people off the hook so easily.

I'd go with fraud. Not only is it a synonym, but it is much more specific about the intent of the action.

I think it's great how well that meme's been spread. I mean, if you actually listen to the whole testimony, you know that he's quoting soldiers he's talked to. This man fought bravely and returned to oppose and unjust war (a little more valiant than supporting a war you actively avoid, huh?), and has been smeared by the same people who brought you "McCain's Illegitimate Black Child". We know war crimes were committed in Vietnam, Kerry spoke out against them. We know the war was a bad idea and Kerry spoke out against it (having gained first-hand knowledge). We now Kerry volunteered for some of the most dangerous combat duty in Vietnam while Junior stayed at home until he got too bored (or too coked out) to fly. It's just too bad that the smears are being soundly refuted in all but the Moonie and Limbaugh media.

The thought that the Swift Boat veterans and other veterans against Kerry are engaged in some smear campaign is ironic, since we're on semantics. Kerry smeared all Vietnam veterans with his vile crap in 1971 and has been repeating it evermore. Personally, I'm not happy about engaging in the deconstruction of the illusions and myth that Kerry was a great war hero, but Kerry was the one that said his four month record in Vietnam is what makes him qualified to be President. Not his Senate service. And just because Kerry says it's so, doesn't make it fact (especially since what's "so" keeps changing). I suppose though, we should just drink the purple koolaid and "believe."

And, also please remember that Kerry DID seek out a deferrment. He did not receive one so he joined the group he did. He set out to earn those purple hearts as quickly as possible and go home.

He wants to be president now. Will he want to go home in April 2005? Then what will the country do for leadership? We need a leader. We don't need an elitist snob trying to convince all the little people he feels their pain. And don't argue with me about Bush being a rich man. I know that. But Kerry could buy and sell Bush 20 times over.

What was so un-just about the war in Vietnam? Why did we let the Communists lie, cheat, and ultimately win? Doesn't that reflect poorly on us? We had them on the ropes several times, but we "allowed" them to get away with jurist tactics at the "Peace Talks," making bargains which they had NO intention of keeping, and finally subject the rest of the country to 20+ years of the quagmire of Communism, not to mention that their "success" opening the door to the barbarism and evils of Pol Pot.

There is a word -- hubris. Sinfully inflated pride. The man has lost track of reality.

As for why we lost in Vietnam? The generation coming of age then. The most spoiled, pampered, catered to generation in the history of mankind. They came to believe their belly button was the center of the universe and they weren't ready to fight any war. Much better to throw tantrums and engage in poor hygene.

Most of them haven't changed, either. Only difference is now they're totting oxygen masks to their peace protests. Fortunately, though, society seems to slowly be regaining some sort of sanity.

Will it be fast enough to save ourselves?

Thanks, Portia! "Hubris" is the PERFECT word! I wish I'd thought of it.... Very good!

I like Hubris as a word, but it's almost too good for them, I remember kids being called "conceited" a lot back in 5th grade, which was fairly effective description of spoiled, pampered, and catered-to affluent kids.

Gopinaz accuses the Swift Boat Vets of "smearing" Kerry, but he rebuts not a single claim of theirs.

Now let's review some of the allegations contained in Gopinaz's post, shall we?

1) "the same people who brought you 'McCain's Illegitimate Black Child'" (The reverse-smear: Gopinaz smears Bush by bringing up an unsubstantiated smear about what Bush supporters allegedly did during the 2000 primary campaign. Proof to the contrary? Well, whose side is John McCain standing by in this campaign?)

2) "a little more valiant than supporting a war you actively avoid" (A double-smear: a) Smear by assumption: Is Gopinaz certain what Bush's position was on the Vietnam War? b) Smear by deflection: Kerry tried to avoid serving in combat by joining the Navy, which at the time was only doing off-shore patrols; it wasn't until later that the Swift boats were used for river missions)

3) "Junior stayed at home until he got too bored (or too coked out) to fly" (The drive-by cheap-shot smear)

4) "the Moonie and Limbaugh media" (Gopinaz completes the quadfecta here, with the smear by religious bigotry)

Talk about your smear artists...

Why do you feel there's a need to rebut the claims of a group that has no evidence to support their claims? The only evidence that exists in the 'Swift Boat Vetrans' case is the evidence that they're in the pocket of the GOP.

Rumsfeld should be imrisoned. To hell with resigning. How dare anyone call torture "panties-on-the-head fraternity pranks at Abu Ghraib". The conditions at Abu Ghraib and at Guantanamo are so bad that Amnesty International and Humans Rights Watch as well as the U.N. are all stepping into the fray. Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney and Bush should all be tried for treason for getting us into that mess in the first place. Run a google search for the "Downing Street Memo". They lied to get us into a war so they could all make a killing along with Carlisle group off of the military industrial complex, and Iraqi oil.