President Ford

[remicks]

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. Gerald Ford , the 38th President, (for two and a half years of the disco era) has passed away at age 93.

Thanks President Ford for your service ....
.... I wish modern day Presidential candidates possessed to the same degree your character rooted in integrity and decency..... maybe then I wouldn't have to hold my nose when voting .

R I P


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[DiscoMan]

Agreed.

With the stroke of his pen he ended Watergate. I remember the very moment he pardoned Richard Nixon and thinking to myself "That's it. Watergate is ended. No trial, no blood. Nixon will not be drawn and quartered. The democRats will not be appeased."

Nixon's pardon set the country up for that traitor Carter.

You know the thing about the way the press currently is writing all kinds of glorious pieces about how great a President Gerald Ford was, they were vilifying and ridiculing him while he was in office. The parallels with G.W. Bush are amazing... And the press absolutely loved Jimmy Carter... As they do Osama Obama today...

I turn my nose up when I read an American newspaper these days.

[paul]

Well, my sentiments are no where near as glowing.
While no way near as bad as bush jr., he does share the fact that he was also unelected. Ford's pardon established the bad precedent we are experiencing with the bush crime family. Criminal activity that may get you impeached could ultimately be pardoned. By the way, the usual suspects, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc served in those rethug administrations back then.
Ford wasn't exactly a choirboy either.
Anyway DM, you should be happy for the failings of Ford and Carter because this led to your hero, Reagan. This nation has been under that dark influence since, despite 8 years of Clinton.
So should I be surprised that you aren't supporting Obama! :icon_cool:

[Nano]

Anyway, comparing Jimmy Carter to Osama seems a bit too much!

I don't get it with U.S. politics... It seems the same guys who wanted Clinton impeached had no problem with Nixon being forgiven. I dunno... :icon_rolleyes:

[remicks]

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Personally I think resigning from the highest office in the land is punishment enough .... and i' ll even give Nixon kudos for doing so. He saved the nation a lot of ongoing grief by doing so . And it was for that same reason Ford pardoned Nixon. Ford's presidency was getting bogged down with lawyers and issues concerning Nixon. He simply swept the issue from his Oval office desk by pardoning him so he could move on.
What more did we wnat anyway ? A President sitting in jail ??

Ford did one other great thing with a mere stroke of his pen Discoman . He unconditionally foregave all those that went to Canada in objection to Vietnam and let them all come home.
He also vetoed over 50 items that came upon his desk (Current Bush vetoes : ONE !) --- a record for any president .

He worked with Russia and China traveling to both . During his meager two plus years he did far more than our current guy ...who .. well, what can we say about him beyond ... IRAQ , IRAQ , IRAQ .

BTW , I just saw two special hours about President FORD displacing their regular programming on : PBS !
Did the highly regarded :icon_razz: FOX network do anything similar ??

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[paul]

Well, as I type the major networks are doing a death watch for Saddam! In this context would jail seem harsh for those Presidents who deserve it? :icon_question:
Anyway, I believe it was Carter who forgave the guys who fled to Canada!

[remicks]

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OOPs ! Good catch Paul !

It was indeed (our last great President) Jimmy Carter who signed off on their coming home. Almost the first thing he did as President in fact.... one more reason I liked him . :icon_biggrin:

Ford supported the idea .... but didn't enact on it .... :icon_mad:

Ford also nominated a so-called semi "liberal" to the Supreme Court .... Stevens .... but that "mistake" may be a reason he gets a bad rap from some circles ... :icon_lol:

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[DiscoMan]

He unconditionally foregave all those that went to Canada in objection to Vietnam and let them all come home.

Jimmy "The Traitor" Carter pardoned the cowards who saved their yellow asses by fleeing to Canada ( '77 or '78).:icon_twisted: Piss on him, them and their "legacy".

Myself, my pals (some of whom got drafted and went to the 'Nam) were "1-A", Citizens of the US of A and believed in our Civic Duty to serve if drafted even if we didn't agree with the war. We didn't want to go to Vietnam but we couldn't run away to Canada either and took Carter's pardon of the chickenshits who did run to Canada as a personnal insult. We understood that pardon to be a statement that told us were fools for our willing to serve our country and go to Vietnam. I despise Carter and his apologists.

[remicks]

He unconditionally foregave all those that went to Canada in objection to Vietnam and let them all come home.

Myself, my pals (some of whom got drafted and went to the 'Nam) were "1-A", Citizens of the US of A and believed in our Civic Duty to serve if drafted even if we didn't agree with the war. We didn't want to go to Vietnam but we couldn't run away to Canada either and took Carter's pardon of the chickenshits who did run to Canada as a personnal insult. We understood that pardon to be a statement that told us were fools for our willing to serve our country and go to Vietnam.
.

:icon_rolleyes: :icon_rolleyes: You said it ..... I didn't !!! :icon_rolleyes: :icon_rolleyes:

[DiscoMan]

Just don't forget who pays the price for your "comfort" and...:icon_razz:

[dfc99bb]

President Ford was decent man. He was even liked by those who voted against him in 1976. I was one of those. What a mistake that was. My vote helped give us the inept Jimmy Carter. I was but a young college student back then and didn't know any better. But at least I corrected that mistake by voting for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 84. Carter was the only democrat presidential candidate I've voted for.

[remicks]

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Just don't forget who pays the price for your "comfort" and...:icon_razz:

Likewise. :icon_mad:
You ain't got nothing over me.... I served just as many days as you did.
And any particular reason your "Yes sir, Mr. Government" ....

"1-A", Citizens of the US of A and believed in our Civic Duty to serve "

clan had to wait to be drafted to be so patriotic and civic minded ? Reminds me of the current crowd of young Repuglicans .

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[DiscoMan]

At least I wasn't one of your chickenshit heroes who ran away to Canada and then pardoned by Jimmy Carter. And I didn't burn my draft card. And I would have served if called.

[remicks]

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At least I wasn't one of your chickenshit heroes who ran away to Canada and then pardoned by Jimmy Carter. And I didn't burn my draft card. And I would have served if called.

wudda wudda wudda . :icon_rolleyes:

You know that was no small decision to uproot one's entire life at such a young age and move off to Canada ....an unknown land and future uncertain.

But they did it for a simple reason : Principled conviction . They didn't believe in that war and they weren't going to let the government tell them they had to.

They did this while your proud crowd hung out at the neighborhood street corner waiting to be forced into providing your strongly felt patriotic duty.

If you had anywhere near the conviction of your own claimed principles as those that went to Canada ...... you'd have done The Hustle right down to the nearest recruitment stand (and they were everywhere ) and unchickenshittedly caught that next outgoing plane to 'Nam.


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[DiscoMan]

They didn't run to Canada out of "principled conviction" they ran to Canada out of pure cowardice. And they should have stayed there.

Remicks; were you one of those pardoned by Jimmy "I've never met a foriegn despot who hates America I haven't liked" Carter?

[remicks]

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[remicks]

They didn't run to Canada out of "principled conviction" they ran to Canada out of pure cowardice. And they should have stayed there.

Remicks; were you one of those pardoned by Jimmy "I've never met a foriegn despot who hates America I haven't liked" Carter?

No , I was too young to be a cowardly chickenshit and not do my patriotic duty and proudly go off into the jungles of Vietnam.
What again was your excuse .... I mean, principled conviction for not going Discoman ??


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[DiscoMan]

I played selective service roulette and won.

So until you have to face the same choices I suggest you refrain from commenting on a subject of which you know positively nothing.

[remicks]

I played selective service roulette and won.

So until you have to face the same choices I suggest you refrain from commenting on a subject of which you know positively nothing.

Ya you "won" all right . You make it sound like it was all a game. While patriots fought in Vietnam ...while patriots moved to Canada ....you "won" .... you did ...nothing. Maybe its you , the ones who did nothing that should refrain from commenting, especialy about who's a chickenshit or not.

I will too . I'm done.


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[DiscoMan]

You should be done as you are totally ignorant of the subject.

[paul]

Interesting discussion.
DM, anyone reading this would conclude you punked out despite the blustering you are going on with. Too afraid to volunteer in that bullshit war in Vietnam but not enough balls to risk citizenship or possible charges down to road by fleeing to Canada. Look, by the conclusion of the war most everyone agreed Americans should not have been in Vietnam. This would include Carter and John Kerry, the man who was there in combat.
The men (Carter and Ford) whom you criticize served in the military. To borrow a quote, war does not make one great. With that said, it's bullshit to hear chickenhawks like yourself DM carry on about serving your country. You do all kinds of spin when ya had the chance to be in wars but dodge them, but talk real tough when your ass isn't on the line. Kinda reminds me of fights in grade school. Anyway, I don't believe one's patriotism or courage is measured by what you describe as a willingness to fight in wars. One of the biggest pro peace liberals out there is George McGovern. He served with distinction in WWII. As with many war vets, one can conclude that seeing the ugliness of war makes them passionate against egaging in them.
Anyway, I still love your taste in music and women DM :icon_cool:

[DiscoMan]

Most of us chose to OBEY the LAW - The Selective Service Act - rather than run away to Canada. Obedience to Law is liberty.

[remicks]

Most of us chose to OBEY the LAW - The Selective Service Act - rather than run away to Canada. Obedience to Law is liberty.

OK I'm back. It's my thread after all .

You're splitting hairs Discoman . You lucked out because you got off via the draft's numbering system. You never were forced into making the hard choice... to go or not . You could have volunteered but you didn't....that says a lot. But, we'll never know exactly what you'd have done had you been faced with the next step from actually being drafted. Of course it's easy to say now you sure would have gone .... but we all know one thing for sure: YOU DIDN'T.

More than a legal issue like you want to make it... deciding to fight in a war is a moral issue.... it involves killing other human beings. If you don't believe in the cause in the first place how could any decent human being do so. Canada was a good solution for those not wanting to kill or be killed over something they didn't believe in.

I don't mean to be so hard on you .... but you bring it on yourself Discoman .... you come here to this thread thumping your chest (based on what reason?) and have the nerve to blast others as chickenshits. I'm offended by that and say take a look at yourself.

What pisses me off even more is that you are exactly the kind of person that then supports an idiot like Bush ... (he's another that dodged his duties back then .... how come that doesn't bother you ? Oh that's right he did it "legally" .... i.e. through contacts and loopholes ) .....anyway its your types who get Bush in office ... cheer him on into creating anotherr war ... and here we are again ..... in some stupid war we don't need to be in. That's why all this pisses me off . Why don't we as a people try to learn something along the way...

Now please answer this question ....is there any reason today's military aged conservatives have their asses parked at home while this president they so love needs their service in Iraq? Yes that pisses me off too..... next thing you know we'll need a draft again. .... So, you defend it.... after all you did the same thing and seem quite proud of it.



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[DiscoMan]

As I said Remicks - you don't know what you're talking about. They ran to Canada to run away from the draft, pure and simple. To be sure there may have been a few who ran away for sincere "concientious objector" reasons, however they could have filed for bona fide concientious objector status with their local selective service board.

I don't care if you find my characterization of them offensive.

Talk to some draftees from those days - ask them why they didn't run away to Canada. Read a few histories (from BOTH points of view) of the anti-war movement - you may learn something, though I would expect you to reject the lesson as it doesn't fit into your high and mighty liberal world view.

The draftees and deserters who ran away to Canada were cowards and felons and never should have been pardoned by that cracker, Jimmy Carter.

Vote for Osama Obama for POTUS? WHy? He has no experience in world affairs and has done nothing in domestic affairs. He's as big a Z-E-R-O as John Kerry.

His candidacy would make it impossible for Her Thighness to run and that would be a good thing. I would hope that after 20 years of Bushes and Clintons the American People are tired of both of them.

[paul]

Nice try at obfuscating DM :icon_biggrin:
I believe the question was: Now please answer this question ....is there any reason today's military aged conservatives have their asses parked at home while this president they so love needs their service in Iraq?

remicks, I think we know the answer for this don't we :icon_biggrin: