Not Too Swift
What can be said about these swift boat guys against Kerry? Are they liars? Is Kerry? We now know from many studies that memory is malleable. We also know that memory is influenced by strong emotion. We know that John Kerry told tales out of school, to enhance his political aspirations.
Kerry reported in his Senate hearing, atrocities that he had heard about second hand, and he generalized these to his swift boat brethren. While it is probably true that some of the foot troops, who engaged the enemy at a more personal level, did in fact commit atrocities, it is probable that the naval men on the swift boats did not. The more intimate a soldier is involved with the enemy, the more likely it is that he will begin to return the savagery that is being brought against him; and savagery as a psychological weapon was practiced by the enemy most thoughtfully in this war. However, this psychological form of warfare was practiced mainly against the “boots on the ground,” the common army soldier, not the flyboys, or those from the navy.
There is no doubt that some soldiers (and here we should remember that these “soldiers” were young, inexperienced, non-voluntary, not well supported, dealing with intense trauma, and sometimes under the influence of drugs), may have “lost it” and went feral. What would be surprising, given the makeup of the circumstances, would be that no atrocities were committed. We know that they were. We also know that this was the most brutal psychological war the United States has every fought. More soldiers have committed suicide, in one form or other, since the end of the war, than were killed during the war. This speaks volumes to the nature of the pressure being brought to bear on our regular army men in the field.
This pressure was much less on the other branches of the service, such as the sailors on the swift boats. As unpleasant as their duty was, the veneer of civilization did not leave these men. Their contact with the enemy was much less intimate than that of the foot soldier. Against this backdrop John Kerry, in an obvious attempt at self-promotion went before the Senate committee and reported what he had “heard,” in other words he tattled. Not unlike a boy who is fearful of getting to close to a fight on the playground he “hears” about, then runs and tells the teacher. Since his benefit from such an action is increased with the seriousness of the event, it is not uncommon for him to expand on the “truth”; a truth that he has not witnessed first hand, in order to make himself appear more important.
“Yes, teacher, it was terrible, I wanted to do something to stop it, but there was just to many of them. But I know that I am just as guilty as the other boys, for not intervening.” The teacher of course demurs, pats him on the head, and tells him what a good boy he is, and how no one would expect him to stop the fight.” In his zeal of self-serving righteousness, John Kerry, inculcated the honor of his fellow swift boat vets, by including them in his widely thrown net of recrimination. The resentment towards that act, and thus toward Kerry, has been brewing ever since.
What the truth is between what Kerry says, and what the “Swifties” charge will never be known. What is certain is, John Kerry, acting out of selfishness, and with total disregard for others in his quest for the political spotlight, has brought this on himself.
Kerry reported in his Senate hearing, atrocities that he had heard about second hand, and he generalized these to his swift boat brethren. While it is probably true that some of the foot troops, who engaged the enemy at a more personal level, did in fact commit atrocities, it is probable that the naval men on the swift boats did not. The more intimate a soldier is involved with the enemy, the more likely it is that he will begin to return the savagery that is being brought against him; and savagery as a psychological weapon was practiced by the enemy most thoughtfully in this war. However, this psychological form of warfare was practiced mainly against the “boots on the ground,” the common army soldier, not the flyboys, or those from the navy.
There is no doubt that some soldiers (and here we should remember that these “soldiers” were young, inexperienced, non-voluntary, not well supported, dealing with intense trauma, and sometimes under the influence of drugs), may have “lost it” and went feral. What would be surprising, given the makeup of the circumstances, would be that no atrocities were committed. We know that they were. We also know that this was the most brutal psychological war the United States has every fought. More soldiers have committed suicide, in one form or other, since the end of the war, than were killed during the war. This speaks volumes to the nature of the pressure being brought to bear on our regular army men in the field.
This pressure was much less on the other branches of the service, such as the sailors on the swift boats. As unpleasant as their duty was, the veneer of civilization did not leave these men. Their contact with the enemy was much less intimate than that of the foot soldier. Against this backdrop John Kerry, in an obvious attempt at self-promotion went before the Senate committee and reported what he had “heard,” in other words he tattled. Not unlike a boy who is fearful of getting to close to a fight on the playground he “hears” about, then runs and tells the teacher. Since his benefit from such an action is increased with the seriousness of the event, it is not uncommon for him to expand on the “truth”; a truth that he has not witnessed first hand, in order to make himself appear more important.
“Yes, teacher, it was terrible, I wanted to do something to stop it, but there was just to many of them. But I know that I am just as guilty as the other boys, for not intervening.” The teacher of course demurs, pats him on the head, and tells him what a good boy he is, and how no one would expect him to stop the fight.” In his zeal of self-serving righteousness, John Kerry, inculcated the honor of his fellow swift boat vets, by including them in his widely thrown net of recrimination. The resentment towards that act, and thus toward Kerry, has been brewing ever since.
What the truth is between what Kerry says, and what the “Swifties” charge will never be known. What is certain is, John Kerry, acting out of selfishness, and with total disregard for others in his quest for the political spotlight, has brought this on himself.
posted by Tharmas Erthona at 7:12 AM
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