[Mefustae]

Ironically, you're acting rather uneducated yourself, redmenace. He's not saying that only the uneducated go to Iraq, nor is he saying that lack of education means you have to go to Iraq. He is merely alluding to the fact that if you drop out of high-school, service is one of the few careers still open to you. Linking this fact to the rather sorry state of the US education system is only logical.

It's just common sense that he's not calling every serving individual uneducated, only that there are [most likely, i'll admit this is only logical conjecture] a higher number of high-school dropouts or college dropouts in Iraq than people holding doctorates in theoretical physics.

It REALLY pisses me off because my father's in the military, too. ****ing asshole needs to learn when to keep his goddamn mouth shut. Dumbass.

Point me to the section of his speech where he out and out stated "all those serving in Iraq are obviously uneducated trailer-trash?

I'd also like to point out the rather blatant hypocrisy in your attitude that you dislike Kerry because you percieve him to be badmouthing service-men & women, and yet turn around to berate Kerry's service in the military in the very same breath.

[Bobboau]

a lot of people in my school are in the military, however there might be a reason for that

anyway, since it's that time of year again

[redmenace]

I was more or less responding to WMC comment not so much to Kerry's.

And if you read the title I am not saying that that if you don't have an education you go to Iraq, nor am I agreeing with the interpretation and spin of the Bush Administration. Although the litteral meaning of his words do suggest that interpretation. I agree with the analysis that Military Service is what you have left as far as options if you drop out of college. I won't argue with that. I think this was a poor choice of words on his part and he really didn't tie the thoughts together well. I wish I could find a copy of the whole speach and read it.

Although after watching this, I am starting to agree with the literal statement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOk3NWJqkyQ&NR

[redsniper]

one of the comments: "No wonder we're losing"

[Kosh]

In so much that it is not 100% true and in some cases insulting.

It is more true than you think, and Army recruiting standards have been declining (now they have been training convicted criminals, people with pyschological issues, etc).

[Unknown Target]

For the most part, saying being uneducated will mean you will go to Iraq is untrue. Yes your choices are limited but not so limited that it is either get an education or get blown up by an IED.

It REALLY pisses me off because my father's in the military, too. ****ing asshole needs to learn when to keep his goddamn mouth shut. Dumbass.

*Reads Cobra's post*

Hmm, maybe Kerry is right
Try to formulate your posts with more...thought and less curse words.

Just kidding about the Kerry being right thing - although I do know what he means. Generally the best career path available to low income low education citizens is the military - which means you go to Iraq.

[Kosh]

It REALLY pisses me off because my father's in the military, too. ****ing asshole needs to learn when to keep his goddamn mouth shut. Dumbass.

Both my grandfathers were in the military, one of them served in the battle of the bulge and got a silver star for bravery as well as several purple hearts, as well as my uncle..........and I still think Kerry is right.

[bloated]

IMO, Kerry is just a loudmouthed dumb****. I mean really, he believes that the three purple hearts he won in the Vietnam war make him automatically eligible to run things

"Heroics of the Vietnamese war" my ass, and why the hell would Kerry have a news crew following him in his hoverboat, anyway?

1st I don't really like or care at all about Kerry but I did take the time to research his military achievements.

their was no news crew btw, eyewitness accounts of those that fought with Kerry made the reports...... anyway Kerry got 3 purple hearts, 1 bronze star and 1 silver star, he had 20 kills and didn't miss any time..... apparently his record is spotless and exemplary.

some say to good to be true and to be honest it seems a little bit much but the record is the record and pissing and moaning sour grapes that 1 or 2 out of 5 medals earned in real combat may be valid but is really kind of silly given the source of the criticism..... without a doubt given the record he's a Hero and earned the right to shoot his mouth off about the nature of war as well as in regards to those involved.

you take a 10,000 word speach (Kerry knows how to talk politician) pull 20 words out of it and instantly he's an asshole...... whether he is or isn't an asshole is irrelavent given the context of the speech is missing....  it's childish, stupid for republicans to be raising a stink about it regardless of whether it's true or not.....because without a doubt the comment lacked any intent to be offensive........ as a side note given the Republicans currently have a proven "alcoholic online pedophile" in their midst this all seems like a smokescreen.

I never really liked Kerry during the election but I don't believe for a moment Kerry had any malice driving his comment.

[aldo_14]

I wonder - could Kerry have been using self-deprecating humour with a touch of irony?  Or is that too subtle for election time?

[Nix]

Look at the audience he was speaking to.  Sure, it's more inferrence, but he wasn't making a speech to his fellow democrat supporters in the usual sense.  He was targeting a group of college students.  It's as plain as day, he ovbiously took a pot-shot at the US military, while trying to give a compliment to those who will graduate from higher education.  There's a lot of conservative/republican people out there that will NOT be convinced that "the White House is twisting my comments" due to how consistent his views have been on the US Military.  Bash bash bash, all the way. 

[aldo_14]

Look at the audience he was speaking to.  Sure, it's more inferrence, but he wasn't making a speech to his fellow democrat supporters in the usual sense.  He was targeting a group of college students.  It's as plain as day, he ovbiously took a pot-shot at the US military, while trying to give a compliment to those who will graduate from higher education.  There's a lot of conservative/republican people out there that will NOT be convinced that "the White House is twisting my comments" due to how consistent his views have been on the US Military.  Bash bash bash, all the way. 

Well, let's face it, there's a bunch of hard-cores on either side of the US political spectrum who would happily twist a candidate saying "I like fluffy kittens and intend to buy one for my young daughter" into meaning "I'm a zoophiliac child molester".  There's just so little context provided to this quote it's impossible to tell what it means and how to regard it.

Still, policy-based politics, eh?

[Nix]

And similar quotes from Bush, such as the "stone age" quote were given the same exact treatment?  Nah, immediately, people took offense!  It's about time republicans take offense to what this cowardly, pitiful excuse for a senator says.  You honestly cannot say that with a straight face about what the man said.  What he said, to the people he said it, it WAS in context.  I don't see how it couldnt be in any OTHER context at all, given the audience he had at the time of the quote!

[Mefustae]

What exactly are you trying to say?

[aldo_14]

And similar quotes from Bush, such as the "stone age" quote were given the same exact treatment?  Nah, immediately, people took offense!  It's about time republicans take offense to what this cowardly, pitiful excuse for a senator says.  You honestly cannot say that with a straight face about what the man said.  What he said, to the people he said it, it WAS in context.  I don't see how it couldnt be in any OTHER context at all, given the audience he had at the time of the quote!

How can you say whether it was in context or not without having any context?

(What 'stone age' quote?)

[bloated]

It's about time republicans take offense to what this cowardly, pitiful excuse for a senator says. actually he's a war hero who's actually served in combat and taken lives to protect American's...... this is fact and undisputable yet you just made a few of the most ill concieved comments I've seen in the thread.

it's really quite impressive that you would make such a comment and then have any hope of credibility in regards to your comments.

I'll be honest I don't really think much of John Kerry and I'm not sure he would be any different from Bush other than more polished but I certainly wouldn't be silly enough to make up lies to promote hostility towards him.

you may not like Kerry, I don't personally think much of him but given he's a war hero, he served his country in wartime, he killed for his country and was awarded numerous medals for his achievement your comments seem just a little more than absolutely worthless.

[Unknown Target]

Looks like he apologized;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061101/ts_nm/usa_elections_kerry_dc

[aldo_14]

Kerry told the students that if they studied hard they could do well, but if they didn't "you get stuck in Iraq." His office said he neglected to add the punch line: "Just ask
President Bush."

Hmmm.  Methinks someone needs to learn to read an auto-cue.......

That's why I was so doubtful about this; can anyone imagine a politician saying something so utterly, well, campaign killing intentionally?

[NGTM-1R]

Perhaps...on the other hand what got said sounds very much like something you'd hear in the Vietnam era, so I dunno.

[aldo_14]

Perhaps...on the other hand what got said sounds very much like something you'd hear in the Vietnam era, so I dunno.

Nah, it's far too stupid for that; especially given the whole fake Jane Fonda thing during the last US elections.

[Janos]

Actually, IIRC, McCain has also condemned these comments.

McCain is a party line hack who has his own gimmick of trying to be "nonpartisan" and "nonbiased".