[Grovenet] political orators

Mon Oct 2 14:08:59 PDT 2006

I really don't think JFK meant that statement about asking what we can do
for our country as a military recruitment call, but his administration did
several very onerous things to discourage Americans who were already
committed to doing the best they could. I believe it was some time later
that JFK decided we must support the Vietnam insurgency to avoid the
elections that would certainly give control to the Communists. Back then
people were paranoid about the Communist movement through the far east. 

My point was that many, many Americans were already doing, not asking. It
wasn't encouraging when he lumped everyone into the same "you're not doing
enough" pot. Still, his rhetorical skills carried it off.

Fortunately, I was nearing the end of mandatory Military service and never
had to go to Vietnam. 

Contrast that with Secretary of Defense Robert (Mack the Knife) McNamara. I
was working in a defense research facility when suddenly we were called into
meetings required by McNamara. In those meetings we were told the Secretary
would allow no further slacking and second-rate work from us. To emphasize
it, if we wanted to keep our jobs we had to sign an oath that we would
henceforth cease our slovenly ways and commit to doing a first-rate job.
After signing the oath we were then awarded a "Zero Defects" card.

As one sage put it in the meetings, "At least we got the defects down to
only one in this country, but it's a huge one sitting in the Defense
Secretary's office!" 

I saw people fired on the spot for such comments. "Mac" simply decreed that
any contractor not supporting the Dept of Defense requirements to the letter
would be fined and perhaps lose their government contracts. The companies
were simply middle-men who had to carry out the Government rules about
individual behavior and beliefs without question. And people shook their
heads over Mao's "cultural revolution" that dictated what people in China
were supposed to think. It didn't work there or here, fortunately. 

The highlight of my "defense" work came for me a few years later when I was
no longer willing to work on projects for more efficient ways to dismantle
living human beings. Many of our projects were top priority rush jobs, not
because they were needed by the troops in 'nam, but because they wanted to
test them on real humans before the war stopped. It's hard to find
volunteers to skewer, dismember or otherwise kill. One wants an active war
for that sort of testing, and who knew when we'd see another? 

When I had enough of it and quit for a "civilian job", the highlight of my
work there was walking into my boss' office, handing him my resignation, and
setting fire to my "Zero Defects" card. I had alerted a photographer friend
who was there to take a photo. Jay, my boss, took it in good humor, not
feeling any more kindly to the Zero Defects program than anyone else. I've
lost that picture over the years. Too bad. No objector ever burned a draft
card with the same gusto as I set alight that Zero Defects card. 

In spite of the horrible war, JFK in his short service did manage to build
national pride and instill an enthusiasm in the nation that I've not seen
since. It's significant to me that LBJ, nor, if memory serves me right,
President Nixon dismantled negative ideas like that Zero Defects program.
That was too bad. Those programs were just another step in creating an
unproductive "us-them" mentality that still persists between too many of the
people of the USA and our government.

We've lost wars. We've suffered huge economic setbacks as our money has
flowed out of our hands and into foreign powers. We have lost our
manufacturing base, our educational base, and our scientific leadership.
But, in spite of all those things, we've lost something far more important,
I think. We've lost confidence in our own government. 

The old saying is true, a good reputation is easy to lose and very tough to
build. That includes the reputation of governments. Even ours. 

Ron D'Eau Claire 

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of JBlair2154 at aol.com
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 1:16 PM
To: grovenet at rdrop.com
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] political orators

In a message dated 10/2/2006 2:15:07 PM Central Daylight Time,  
grovenet-request at rdrop.com writes:

"...ask
not what your country can do for you: Ask what you can do  for your
country." I was thinking, "...just what else does he expect?" I  had no idea
that the "assistance" we were providing the insurgency in  Vietnam would
blossom into one of the most horrific wars and one of the  most horrific
defeats in our history. 

And I had no idea that JFK meant those words as a recruitment call  for the 
armed forces. Seriously. Maybe he did...at least in part...but I've  always 
remembered it as a plea for Americans, in general, to be less  self-centered
and 
more unselfish: to gripe less about being taxed (as well,  perhaps, about
the 
draft) to serve as community volunteers, to view political  issues from a 
broader standpoint than simply a personal one, etc. Maybe the  historians
among us 
will offer more knowledgeable viewpoints than mine.  (Meanwhile, I'll 
remember with a twinge of sadness the image of Ron  gripping his M1.)

I was glad to see the discussion about the relevance of articulate  or even 
eloquent speakers among political leaders, past and present. I firmly
believe 
that GWB's "finest moment," -- indeed, his only halfway GOOD moment, in  my 
opinion -- was his patriotic speech on the rubble. That, more than anything

else, helped him get reelected. Reagan and Clinton were both excellent  
communicators, and perhaps the most popular presidents in recent history.
Ergo:  what 
we Democrats MOST need as a presidential candidate is  someone who has not
only 
the other credentials we value (and my list, at least,  is rather long) but 
is also a powerfully persuasive public  speaker.

Barack Obama comes to mind.

And I would like to thank Katie (I think it was) who provided a  link to 
Obama's website, even though my browser wouldn't accept the link.  Her
suggestion 
gave me the impetus to do a quick search and find the site, where  I
listened 
to his speech about curtailing oil dependency, then his "Call to  Renewal" 
address about religion and politics. Neither of these speeches were as  
well-rehearsed and dynamic as his Democratic Convention keynote speech, of
course, but 
very substantive and impressive, anyway. Enough to make me  startle my dogs 
by clapping and yelling now and then. <G> And enough  to make me send the
link 
to a former classmate who, although a devout "born  again" Christian, has
the 
heart and mind of a true Democrat and thinks for  himself. And he, in turn, 
had the courage to pass it along to that small group  of neoconservative 
classmates with whom he is still in touch (and from whom I am  alienated)
and ask 
them to read it. (I wish him luck!) Recently, you see, he had  received a 
forwarded email from one of them which explained why a Christian  can't
possibly be a 
Democrat. He had mentioned this to me and said he had  ignored it, but I
knew 
it troubled him and I knew Obama's speech would offer him  solace. After a 
recent heart attack, he has been instructed to reduce stress in  his life,
so of 
course, he has been sidestepping such provocative emails. His  response to 
Obama's speech was therefore a very meaningful gesture. It says a  lot about

him, AND about Obama.

So far, I haven't heard any party leaders mention Obama as a  potential 2008

candidate. But frankly, I'm beginning to feel more and more  strongly that
our 
country needs him NOW.

Joy

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