Sweet

in the early morning on Monday, the 18th of August 2003 by Chad

Got a letter to the editor published in the paper over the weekend. (Follow the linked page to the last letter)

Clark’s view of taxes fits with Marxists

Gen. Wesley Clark for president? In June Clark was on “Meet the Press” talking about tax cuts and how he disagreed with them. He said, “I thought this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation.” The United States did not have a progressive income tax until the 16th Amendment passed in 1913, 137 years after this country was founded.

However, Point 2 of “The Communist Manifesto,” written by Karl Marx in 1848, refers to “a heavy progressive or graduated income tax.” Maybe Clark read the wrong history books in school if he thinks the United States is Marxist.

I blogged about this earlier in Episode 36. Thanks go out to Rachel Lucas for breaking this story. I posted the letter to the editor in response to an opinion piece in the News Journal that proposes to draft Clark for President.

A retired Army four-star general and former commander in Europe, Clark has the character, intelligence, experience and toughness to inspire Americans. A groundswell is building among Democrats to draft Clark for the presidential nomination.

I thought Draft was a four letter word to Democrats. Anyways… Just because he was a general does not make him either a good politician nor a good leader. Just because someone makes it to general, even a top general, doesn’t mean that he is competent either. Look at the northern generals during the Civil War. So many useless generals were fired until Grant was finally brought to the top.
His views on the war on Iraq:

Many other news outlets followed suit. Quoting unnamed sources within the Bush administration and ex-military leaders, the media was fixated on calling the US military plan a massive “blunder” and “miscalculation.” CNN’s most visible and most decorated hand wringer was retired General Wesley Clark. CNN finally figured out a way to find someone who’s military record placed him in the strata of untouchables by the right wingers, all the while keeping their policy of “all news-all Bush bashing-all the time.”
Wesley Clark said Mr. Rumsfeld’s insistence on a smaller invasion force had left troops vulnerable and the 300-mile oil supply line between Kuwait and Basra open to guerilla attack.

I’m sorry, but such a great general should have had a better clue on reality.