Reply #96: One reply for two posts [View All]

[MadHound]

What do you wish me to address about Clark's status as SACEUR. Clark self promotes in his book, you seem to think he was a god over there, others are a little less enthusiatic, and still more said it was something of a SNAFU. I suspect that it was somewhere between heaven and hell, ie human. I still think that Clark's experience as a career military man, SACEUR or no, doesn't qualify him for high office. Witness our other career military officers who gained the presidency. They either wound up being figureheads for the powers behind them, complete fuck-ups, or just simply overwhelmed by a situation they couldn't understand. This history does not bode well for Clark's chances once in office, and frankly I don't wish to place that kind of long shot bet on him.

And if you think that I'm wrong on Clinton, let me ask you this. Do you think a real Democrat would push through legislation that benefits big business and the rich while screwing the poor and the working man as Clinton did? Remember, this is the same Clinton who pushed through NAFTA, '96 Telecom Act, welfare "reform", WTO, FTAA, soft money campaign contributions, H-1B visas and much much more. If you honestly think that these are the actions of a true Democratic president, then I feel sorry for you. Forty years ago, it was that rabid right-winger who was running on a pro-business platform that wouldn't have hurt us any more than Clinton's did.

And about your conventional wisdom about centerists. You know, they said the same thing about FDR, that he was going to make those "centerists" nervous. Well, four terms and many, many very progressive programs later, I guess those centerists were finally proven right. The country just couldn't handle those radical ideas like "Social Security", or "overtime". Then I wonder why they're still around?