From: lbaum@bcsaic.boeing.com (Larry Baum)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: Kremlin_Gate: Bill Clinton in Moscow during Viet Nam.
Date: 9 Oct 92 06:06:53 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle

In article <JOT.92Oct7231016@teak09.cray.com> jot@teak09.cray.com (Otto Tennant) writes:
: In article <ld6j6nINNk3@spim.mti.sgi.com> mpolen@suntory.mti.sgi.com (Mike Polen) writes:
: >> Bill Clinton may or may not have done this - he was more likely a
: >> "willing dupe" - but for him to protest the war IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY,
: >> and to travel to the capital of the main enemy, is, to say the
: >> least, very suspect. As a veteran of that period, I find it
: >> reprehensible and offensive.
: >
: >1.  Russia was not the enemy in the vietnam war.  North Vietnam and
: >China were the "main enemies."
: 
: The monolithic Communist front was the "main enemy."  You can attempt
: to subdivide "the enemy".  One may even recognize that Red China and
: the USSR were not on the best of terms.  But, in the relevant period,
: the USSR was supporting North Vietnam.

Millions of people did not see it that way.  Those that had a
different perspective are not traitors or disloyal.  After the
last few decades, anyone who really believes that communism
was really monolithic is a fool.
: >
: >2.  Russia was our enemy during the cold war, but Bush, Reagan, thier
: >staffs, and our ambassadors all spent more time in Russia when
: >they were the "main enemy" than Clinton did.
: >
: 
: They had diplomatic passports.

Bill Clinton had a passport and travel to USSR was not
prohibited.  So what.
: 
: >3.  When on vacation or going to school in England, your ideas go
: >with you.  If they didn't, that would be suspect.
: 
: Well, that is sort of the point.  The present governor of a small
: southern state, who promised he would serve out his term (but we all
: know how to believe the promises of Democrats) took his ideas with him
: on vacation.  They happened to take him to a communist country.
: 
Visiting a country is not tatamount to endorsing that
government's political system.  

: >5.  If Clinton, as a KGB agent, led Arkansas to the improvements
: >seen over the last 12 years, maybe we should recruit more.
: 
: You want more fecal coliform bacteria in your water?

You want strip mining in your national parks?
: 
: >6.  If Bush supporters actually think this is an issue, then
: >Clinton, Perot, and Marrou (sp?) supporters are sure glad their 
: >candidates have real issues to campaign on.
: >
: Actually, I don't know.  The Governor of a small southern state has
: enough to answer for beyond a youthful visit to the USSR.
: 
: The issue is not so much whether or not he supported LBJ's war.
: 
: The issue is whether or not he understands basic thoughts like
: "freedom" and "justice".  Visiting the USSR the year after the
: invasion of Czechoslavikia is at best (using the word of the left-wing)
: insensitive. 

And what do you call sending your Secretary of State (James
Baker) to toast the leaders of China almost immediately after
the Tiennamin Square massacre?  This is much more am
endorsement of their actions than just visiting the country?


By the way, the CNN tracking poll shows that Clinton's lead
increased from 10 to 16 points in the last 2 days, since this
matter surfaced.  Evidently a good many people share my
revulsion for this obvious example of gutter politics.

: >-- 
: >These opinions are usually my own, sometimes my dog's,
: >occasionaly my (grown) children's, never my employer's.
: 
: 
: --
: ===============================================================================
: J.Otto Tennant      Forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit.         jot@cray.com
: Cray Research, Inc.              Virgil                          (612) 683-5872
: 655 Lone Oak Drive                                                
: Eagan, MN 55121


-- 
Larry Baum
Computer Science Organization
Boeing Computer Services     uucp:       uw-beaver!bcsaic!lbaum
(206) 865-3365               internet:   lbaum@atc.boeing.com       
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.elections,talk.abortion