Kerry is taking more 'Nam-related shit.

To be honest, I really don't like Kerry. He's always struck me as nothing but an uninspired, opportunistic fuck. I (obviously) don't dislike him as much as Bush, and I have warmed to Kerry a bit. When it comes to the Vietnam issue, I could go either way.

On one hand, I can see his touting being in the war and being against the war as being conflicting and opportunistic. Just like with the Iraq war, which I can't get over when it comes to Kerry. He voted for it (having to know full well what Bush intended to do), but now criticizes it. Could be something similar with 'Nam; his "feelings" about the war may have been influenced by what those feelings could do for him politically.

On the other hand, I can easily see where someone who was in Vietnam would end up being someone who was against Vietnam. No one has more street cred to talk about any particular conflict than those involved in it. So, yeah, he very easily could have been proud of serving his country, while at the same time angry that his country was sending men to die for no good reason.

The Republican attacks on Kerry over this are starting to sound somewhat like the pro-Iraq war crowd's attacks against the anti-war crowd. There, being anti-war was equated with being anti-troops. Well, that's a little child's mentality. It shows no depth of thought whatsoever. Some people could appreciate people volunteering and sacrificing for such an ugly job while not approving of the job itself. That's more of a referendum on the people who are giving the troops orders as opposed to a referendum on the troops themselves. Furthermore, an anti-war stance is in many ways more pro-troops than anything - it's saying that we don't think these people should be sacrificing their lives over some bullshit political squabble.

But yeah, try and get that reasoning past a five-year-old.