Poetic Justice…

This in from Xonk: FEC FINES SWIFT BOAT VETS 300K

Thanks, Bro…Keep up the fire! Here’s my take on this one:

I don’t want to be an old I told you so…but…:-)! Pardon me, if I gloat a little…no, make that a lot! But, it has been quite a journey (and a rewarding one as well, it seems…) from the 3rd Triennial Vietnam Symposium at Texas Tech University, held in Lubbock, Texas, in March of 2005, to reading about this major victory for the forces of Truth. The journey started when a group of Old School VVAW types under the leadership of Ms Nancy Miller Saunders, serving as panel moderator, confronted these liars on Saturday, March 19th , the last day of the Symposium. I was honored to both be member of Nancy’s panel as well as to be in the company of the likes of Terry Dubose, Alex Primm, and Gerald Nicosia as fellow panelists.

As a panel, we enjoyed the in person back to back support of CathyK, SgtWayne, Calixto, Scott, BettyH, LucyD, and CathyP. Old School VVAW, one and all. And as such; primary targets in the anti-Kerry hate campaign mounted by the Swift Boat Vets leading up to and during the last presidential election campaigns. All were there to personally confront the Nixon left-overs with the Truth regarding Kerry and the VVAW. The first ones up to that point to do so; including Kerry himself, I might add. The Swifties presented at 0845, and we were on at 1030 hours. Unedited live video of panel presentations and panelists’ presentation papers are available at TTU Symposium '05.

Those who were there should definitely feel a tremendous sense of validation of personal and political principle, and most assuredly deserve acknowledgement for having been members of the crew that fired the first shots over the bow of the Swift Boat Vets in what has now become a major victory for the American electorate.

The idea of VetSpeak.org was born from that gathering. It was founded on the premise that Truth ain’t always pretty, but; it is always powerful. On my families coat of arms is inscribed on a banner the premise, in Latin; “Persistence brings down even the strongest walls…” This decision by the FEC is powerful reinforcement for both of these premises. It is an especially validating experience to have been in the fight, along with countless others joined together on the side of right, and to have prevailed.

We owe ourselves an “Attaboy!” on this one, for sure. However; we will need to remain vigilant. These guys haven’t surrendered. They’ve simply retired from the field; they are just re-grouping and will now be super busy, looking for loop-holes in these recent restrictions,
http://vetspeakblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/whos-who-art-of-cyber-camouflage-by.html, in readiness for the run-up to the 2008 elections.

I know that all hands that were at TTU will continue to provide political light, in any way that they can, to the lies of those who now must swarm like flies to sugar to any perceived loopholes in the new restrictions. VetSpeak.org will remain in the fight. We hope that all of those who brought about this social and political shift in our society, the American voter, will, too. It is to them that we truly owe this victory, and it is their hearts and minds that we will need in order to prevail in the many battles to come.

Semper Fi!
Windbender

New Boss same as the Old Boss?

Dialogue: The Fuel of Truth...

By

Willie Hager

(sometimes aka Wilder)

www.vetspeak.org

Now that the “worst” Congress in history has adjourned…by worst; I mean the least representative of the interests of the American people since Nixon and, in their own toady kinda way, the most representative of corporate and far Right political interests with their armies of high dollar lobbyists and 527s…I think that it is appropriate to look back for lessons. Like, how to make sure that it never happens again; only for real, this time!

Before we do, we must acknowledge that while the Repugs and Neocons were soundly defeated as far as control of Congress is concerned; they are definitely not out of biz. Like cockroaches, they simply scurried for cover when the light of Political Truth began shining too brightly. Should that light dim again, they will all come swarming back. We must also acknowledge that it was our own complacency in not maintaining the very principles which we had rallied around to bring about the historical toppling of the Nixon machine that lost the Left the much needed attention and support of the “political center”, who it seems, had melted back into the heartland, and/or into the Me-ness of the 80’s as a result of that oversight.

This sad state of affairs came as a result of the astonishing lack of attention to Constitutional principle of government for all the people. The very principle which had driven us all to victory through an evolution of personal, social, and political repression and metamorphosis. All of this with a price tag of personal economic sacrifices, as well. Not keeping this fresh in our hearts, in our consciences, and in our daily lives is what allowed that amazing breathe of fresh air called Political and Social Freedom to be sucked out of our nation. That, and repression and re-framing of the political arguement by the Right, to suit their own ends. Tyranny, once again, had become as rampant and as divisive as it was during the fascist years of Nixon and his cronies.

This losing sight of the ball on the part of the American People ultimately led to the Political Correctness model of those from the Left seeking public office through pandering to demographically assured voter blocs, and to the self appointed spokespersons of said blocs. New Boss; same as the Old Boss…and we were indeed, fooled again. This was, without a doubt, the great undoing of the most powerful weapon that we had when we ended the Vietnam War and the Nixon reign and lifted the boot-heel of oppression from the necks of many of those very same above mentioned demographic voter blocs The Unity of Purpose and Principle that had carried us to victory in the first place was soon forgotten in the political purges and infighting over the spoils of political and social revolution by the Left of the late ‘70s and ‘80s.

All of this occurred with utter disregard for the equality of personal freedom of speech, religion, sex, and race that were the original impetus for that most important, but ultimately self-defeated, political and social revolution. It manifested itself in powerful minority issue caucuses and Civil Rights lobbyists dealing with religion, sex, guns, and race reinforced with Political Correctness. This lack of dialogue, my friends, is what fueled the equally successful Gingrich Revolution and it’s Contract with America/Family Values agenda and the coming to power of the Neocons. All of this with the gleeful assistance of many of the ol’ Repug Nixon gang, now embedded as lobbyists and 527 political hate groups such as the Swift Boat Vets (known here at VetSpeak respectfully as NSSV’s, or Not So Swift Vets). I guess that it is true that power corrupts.

I hope not. I hope that we have transcended the greed and corruption of personal power that seeped into our great Movement the last time around, and that we now have set out to build a political future for the true soldiers in the current political revolution; the American People. The ones, regardless of party registration that voted the for the candidates and the issues as they apply to their daily lives, and not the agenda of Special Interest groups, whatever their persuasion or cause. All issues should now be considered by their worth and benefit for the largest number of American Citizens, regardless of religion, race, economic status, or party registration. This means bringing an end to the era of “Political Correctness” and divisive rhetoric from all parties that are struggling around these issues. In other words, civility and respect for one another in our dealings with the matters that most affect us as citizens of a free and great nation. The time has come to separate political party registration from the concept of “affiliation”, or “allegiance” and begin to consider what would be the best decisions for us as a majority of American Citizens, rather than as members of individual advocacy groups, locked into divisive Politically Correct agendas, whether they happen to be from the Left or the Right.

Unity of Purpose and Principle is what got us to this major Congressional power shift this time around, just like it did back in The Day. We should stick with it, this time. Being a registered Democrat does not mean, by any stretch of imagination, that one does or must, for fear of personal retribution or political or social ostracization, vote the party candidate or line. Blacks don’t necessarily have to vote the Democratic ticket, anymore than middle class white folks must vote the Republican ticket. In order to be good Americans, we each simply need vote our conscience. And when the vote is in, respect and support the results. Political Parties, corporate lobbying groups, 527s and minority advocacy groups aren’t mentioned in the Constitution. However; guarantees of Individual Liberty, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Choice most certainly are. In America, according to our Constitution; we are entitled as U.S. Citizens, to speak our personal thoughts and ideas, and to vote our personal choice without fear of oppression from any individual, corporation, political party or faction. In the end; it’s not up to anybody but us to make sure that we don’t get fooled, again.

We cannot retreat into our own personal worlds again. We are all in this together. The Repugs haven’t retired from the fray, they are simply re-grouping, waiting for an exposed artery…or for the light of Truth to dim, again. We must remain vigilant. If we are truly going to make a better quality of life for all of the citizens of our great nation, we must remain engaged. We have a responsibility to stay tuned in, and to speak up assertively when someone is singing out of Constitutional tune, or forgets the words and guarantees, no matter what political party or special interest that they might represent.

We must not allow personality cults or personal power and enrichment to corrupt our political/social leadership at our own personal expense or welfare, ever again. We cannot neglect our constitutional duty to continue to Speak Truth to Power. We must, as a people united, set the agenda, and not allow the 527s, or the political campaign managers, or the minority caucuses, or the media pundits to usurp our privilege and responsibility, ever again. That is our responsibility as a free thinking, self governed People. We cannot allow the new congressional leadership to define and set policy, any more than we can allow the Neocons to take charge again; we must remain engaged in open respectful dialogue at all levels in order to ensure that our Representatives indeed represent an agenda perceived as correct by the majority of American Citizens, and not one designed by corporate lobbyists and special interest groups.

Dialogue is the fuel of Truth…silence is the fuel of tyranny. The choice is ours.

KERRY..., KERRY..., KERRY...!

Open mouth, insert foot...

or

What goes 'round, comes 'round..."Manifestation of Foot In Mouth Syndrome"

By
Bill Hager AKA Wilder
http://www.vetspeak.org/

O.k., O.k.; I wish it would just go away, too. But it ain't gonna. So, it seems to me that rather than hunker in the bunker during this round of incoming from the spinmiesters of the Far Right, maybe we ought to tough up and return fire. Identify the source of fire and gain and maintain fire superiority while employing USMC Fireteam tactics of envelopment to turn the attack and neutralize the attackers...pretty basic stuff, but very effective; ask any USMC Grunt who has served in combat.

The incoming fire is coming from the same ol' gang that brought you the successful frontal assaults on the Kerry campaign re his Vietnam service, back during the last Presidential election (?), those cockroaches who seem to always successfully scurry out of sight when the lights come on exposing their scavenger political activities; Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, or as I call them, the Not So Swift Veterans (NSSVs). They have now spread throughout cyber-space in multiple disguises http://vetspeakblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/whos-who-art-of-cyber-camouflage-by.html. They only come out when the light of truth has gone out, in order to politically scavenge for leftovers from politically juicy situations for the Repugs to feed themselves and others on, in their march to fascism.

Once again the target of that hostile fire is John Kerry. Been there, done that. VetSpeak was created as a result of the outright lies of the NSSVs during the Presidential election that was stolen by the Neocons (Neoconservatives). It was born from a group encounter by old VVAW (Vietnam Veterans Against The War) types from The Day and the NSSVs while at the 5th Triennial Vietnam Symposium at Texas Tech University (TTU) in Lubbock, Texas http://star.vietnam.ttu.edu/starweb/center/servlet.starweb?path=center/2005.web&id=2005symposium&pass=&search1=EVNTF%3D5thtriennial&format=format. (Just scroll down, the NSSVs are on at 0845 on Saturday, March 19th, and we follow at 1030. You can view unedited video feed of the event and find our submitted papers there, as well as at http://www.vetspeak.org/.)

We weren't at TTU to support John Kerry's political aspirations, per se; we were there to Speak Truth to Power in a direct rebuttal of the tactics of the Repugs in their use of 527s, especially the NSSVs (left over operatives from the Nixon Shame), and their lies regarding Vietnam Veterans, VVAW, and John Kerry and his testimony before Congress http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/082204F.shtml# during VVAW's Operation Dewey Canyon III in Washington D.C. in April of 1971, during aforementioned election run-up.

The NSSVs smear campaign was in response to John Kerry's political aspirations and his then active campaign for the Presidency. We were there at TTU to respond directly to the NSSVs' outrageous rhetoric in the campaign, which was decidedly derogatory with reference to Vietnam Veterans in general, but which was disgusting in it's absence of fact when applied to those who had fought there and now opposed our further participation in that National disaster known as Vietnam, and was filled with outright lies. I should include here that it is a fact that John Kerry was one of my heroes and an inspiration back in The Day, but his hunkering in the bunker during that despicable assault by the NSSVs definitely tarnished my image of him, and most likely was a determining factor in his loss of many otherwise supportive veterans' support in the critical final days of the election. That's a bummer as it was Dewey Canyon III in general along with Kerry's testimony before Congress on live TV, and the somewhat earlier Winter Soldier Investigation that initially inspired my activities with VVAW for the subsequent four years, and my personal support for him in his recent Presidential bid.

Now, for the "Rest of the story...", as it applies to this latest flare-up twixt the NSSVs and their favorite whipping boy Senator John Kerry, and it's impact on the rapidly approaching mid-term elections. Let me say first that Senator Kerry's under fire comments, whether the ones that were spoken in the piece, or the originally scripted ones that were the supposed to be a joke about The Shrub, were both inappropriate for the occasion and, frankly, lame rhetoric. As a result; he is a tarnished political icon now, like so many other living icons of the Democratic Party and activist Left. A creatively unsolicited distraction for those who truly seek to take our country, our quality of life, and our Flag and Constitution back from the Neocons who currently control the Republican party (and the 527s) from with-in the White House (Yikes!...I'm having a Nixonian flashback!).

Oddly enough, and unfortunately, I think that it is because of his lack of education and judgement on the current facts and issues, and not the troops' lack of good study habits that could possibly keep them stuck in Iraq for at least another two years. Especially if the Democrats don't succeed in taking the House or the Senate this go 'round. It is true that during the Vietnam era, if you were a student and you didn't do well; your ass was headed for the Nam...that went on for ten years. That was a result of the draft, and it's favoritism towards the sons of the rich, well educated, well placed, elected or appointed officials. Remember, "I ain't no Senators son", a ballad from The Day, by John Fogarty? A good report card was the only way out for a guy who didn't fit any of the above categories. In the world of the "All Volunteer Army", which incidentally was brought about as a result of VVAW's, the student anti-war movement's, and the millions of others' protests against the draft for Vietnam; this dynamic of under-educated troops is not a reality. Talk about irony!

In Vietnam most draftees were high school drop-outs, and if you were over 20 years old in Vietnam you were usually referred to as Old Man or Pappy. Today's Armed services are the most highly educated of all time, and while I can't find a statistical reference as to the median age in the armed forces today, it is not unusual for troops to be in their late twenties or early thirties. I can't believe that Kerry could subliminally "Botch a joke" with that knowledge comfortably stashed in his VVAW leader/Senatorial rhetorical grab-bag. Presidential type guys should know the facts about what war they are referring to when they speak out against it, one would think. If it's truly Baby Bush's (Shrub's) education he was referring to, as he says; Shrub, like Clinton and other Presidents, went to Yale. That doesn't make him smart by any stretch, but I gotta say; it makes him "educated" by American standards. So, if it was a joke on Bush (who in himself is a joke); I, for one, didn't, and still don't, get it. Neither I suspect did "middle America", the largest pool of undecided voters. Neither, apparently, do those troops up there in the header picture of this article, regardless of the explanations and subsequent apology.

Sadly, his efforts at explanation, and then it's exploitation by the Repug 527s, led by the NSSVs, has energized the Right and has undermined what was fast becoming a Democratic blitzkrieg on the House of Representatives and the Senate in the upcoming mid-term elections on November 7th. Bush isn't even running, why focus on him with a denigrating joke (as much as he deserves it, considering his I don't have a clue persona)? It's his failed policies, and those who champion them, that should be the focus at this crucial time leading up to the mid-terms. Kind of hard to get the support of the troops when they think that they've been insulted (see picture above) as the result of a "botched joke". This, as a result of the efforts of the NSSVs and other Repug 527s in spinning what was, I believe to be, a badly timed slip of judgement and tongue on Kerry's part, into the message to the American people that Kerry was dissing the troops in order to trash the Democrats regarding their anti-Iraq War message. By playing into the spin with his "explanation". He opened the door for the spinmiesters to take everyone's eye off the ball just before the mid-terms.

His published "full text" of the joke didn't help out, either...with no written reference to Bush; the joke, it turns out, was on Kerry. As I listened for the past few days, I was in pain for Kerry as his convoluted efforts to explain the faux pas away became more and more pathetic. I was reminded over and over of watching Rosemary Woods' testimony before Congress with reference to the erased 18 minutes of the Nixon White House tapes. She just couldn't get her leg up high enough to reach over the desk and "accidentally" hit and hold the "record" button for 18 minutes thereby causing the erasure, in the manner that she claimed before the Congress. Now, that was a joke. Kerry's joke and his explanation of it was like he was shooting himself in the foot with an automatic pistol with a 14 round clip.

More bad judgement, more damage to the Democrats' efforts to focus on the war in Iraq and the reasons for rethinking our commitment to that failed Bush policy. More ammo for his political enemies. When John Kerry should have spoke up against these attacks by the NSSVs during the Presidential election; he remained silent and distanced himself from those who were willing to stand with him. Now, it seems, when discretion is the better part of valor; he can't keep quiet and just stand on his record. Both are a reflection on his judgement, in my opinion. Moral of the story, as so eloquently stated by Lou Dobbs; when you know you are already in a hole, stop digging. And, that's no joke.

BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS
Matthew 7:15
…A primer on the mid term elections to be
held on November 7th, 2006…

By
Bill Hager
www.VetSpeak.com

As the run-up to the 2008 presidential election begins, the evil that resides in men’s (and women’s…PC!) souls once again begins to bubble and froth to the surface. It’s currently getting a warm up in the form of the 2006 so-called mid-term elections. We’ve all been to this movie before. Emotionally stirring, gut wrenching, often times mind numbing, and almost always filled with celluloid heroes and heroines saving the day and riding off into the sunset…and living happily ever after. No matter how many times we see it, the story and the ending remains the same. It repeats itself visually and verbatim, numbing our senses to the reality that it was created from, or that it claims to represent. No matter the genre, the message is always a reflection of the prevailing values of our time. And we love it! Box office receipts reflect that…as do cable residuals, I might add.

This is the 21st Century, after all. A virtual electronic bombardment of the senses by wondrous feats of technology. Fascinating and compelling in their make up and ability to facilitate research, learning, entertainment, communications, and the general improvement of the quality of life for those who can afford it. And yet, frightening in their ability to condense the state of the world to a few spoon fed sound bytes. Bytes delivered to us from icons of our own making, who are either paying or being paid to deliver mind numbing, insulting, patronizing, factually incorrect, and often subliminal messages on behalf of the highest bidder, whether they be commercial or political…Left or Right; “Let’s Make a Deal!”, personified. A lot easier for “us”; but sadly, a lot easier for “them” to manipulate “us”, as well.

The problem is that in the 21st century we don’t have time to sit and read and digest well written and documented essays reflecting our differences of opinion. Even if the topics are critical to all of ours’ very quality of life and in some cases, actual survival. Instead, our icons feed us the “information” via a multi-plex of multi-media, transported to the masses via the “Information Highway”. We eat it with a very large spoon, as well as with an incredibly short attention span and uncritical eye for, not to mention an unstimulated interest in; the details of the information being disseminated. My grandmother used to say, “Sonny Boy, the Devil is in the details…”. Bad for “us” and good for “them” is the fact that we are imbued with, what seems to be an incredible retentive power for imagery. Therefore, we let the “Talking Heads” of the electronic media do our thinking and deciding for us in the language of sound bytes and spin. This frees us up to paying attention to more important matters, like trying to survive in an economy hostile to all but the corporate coffers and political war chests.

All of this so that our (the masses) personal time will be freed up to concentrate on surviving in the 2 ½ children per family; two under-paid jobs per family; economically corrupted; devoid of meaningful health care; Melting Pot gone awry; racially divisive; educationally backsliding, home of the shrinking middle class and alienated Blue Collar workers…not to mention record corporate profits. The place we proudly call America. Hell, we’re the fuel and the oil for the Big Machine of corporate profit…we should be proud and thankful! Who was it that said; “The business of America is business…”? What a visionary they were! How remiss we are for allowing it to have come to pass.

It’s not hard to understand how we got here. Major world events from Vietnam to Iraq, and natural catastrophic events of the scope of hurricanes Andrew and Katrina have increased our need for “information”, but have unfortunately condensed it for the purposes of our considering it and/or digesting it in ever increasing volumes of impingement. All of this has taken our eye off the ball. We have, since The Great Political Awakening and the political activism of the Nixon Years, slowly back-slid into relinquishing our personal voice and our political soul, the very items we worked so hard and sacrificed so much for under the banner of “political self-determination” back in The Day.

Now, under the “political leadership” of “political pundits”, “Party leaders” and “special interests advocates”…read that as; Lobbyists and 527s...as well as divisively extreme minority agendas that are driven by, as well as shackled by, the antiquated and devisive ideas of the current “civil rights leadership” icons who have become the High Priests of Leftist politics, and in so doing they’ve taken over the temple of Truth and the money-lenders are back in business, right there on the steps. These are the False Prophets that I am referring to. Beware of them! They truly are what was meant when the term “sheep in wolves clothing” was coined. We take our political direction from those who have since exploited our efforts and successes for their personal, political, and financial gain without consideration to the overall political and financial advancement of the majority of the American people; the very source of those magnificent efforts and successes which they are so adeptly exploiting.

How does this all apply to False Prophets and our choices in the 2008 mid-term elections? Well, for starters; the premises and the topics and the issues are being manipulated by power mongers from both the Left and the Right. Folks who would spend more money in a day of “campaigning” than most of us in “middle” America will ever see or have at one time in a life-time of financially struggling to just barely keep up with "the Joneses" or stay alive as families. Folks who care more about status and power than the day to day health care of our greatest treasure; our children. Folks who would deplete the educational gene pool in order to negate future political competition.

We have surrendered our power to them. Whether as a result of the Gingrich revolution and the re-emergence of many of Nixon’s operatives under the banner of the better organized Neocons who have successfully learned to frame the American political debate; or the stagnation of the concept of united social consciousness of the Left, which set in after the much deserved fall of the Nixon creature from the political stage. We have left in it’s place a Left divided against itself and mainstream societal values as a result of it’s scrabble for increasingly limited resources against a financially bloated and ever “on message” Right. This dynamic has led to the subsequent perpetuation of the ol’ “Civil Rights” activist wing of the Left who have fought valiantly to gather political crumbs through it all, and who have in the process lost The House, The Senate, and The Presidency, and the National Agenda through the disunity and lack of consideration of personal responsibility or personal intellectual growth brought about by Political Correct thinking and tactics. We were fooled again; the “…New Boss, Same as the Old Boss…" is the sad result of this situation.

What to do? Educate yourselves to the issues, and take control of the political agenda by thinking for yourselves about them, instead of parroting what someone else wants you to think about in the lead-up to election day. Think for yourself, speak for yourself. Vote based on your personal knowledge and your own personal political concious. Do not vote along Party lines…instead, vote the candidates character and record based on principles rather than spin. The politics based on practice rather than rhetoric. Apply objective criteria to your evaluation of political messages that reflects the best direction and the best quality of life in all matters political and social for the largest number of those privileged to be Citizens of this great Democracy. This with absolutely no consideration of their race, historical origins, or religion…but for their quality of life, just as it is written in our Constitution and Bill Of Rights, and most importantly; vote every opportunity that you get to support those principles. In doing so, be open to New Ideas and strategies. The old ones sure ain't working out too well, these days. That would not only be the most rewarding thing that we could all do for America and those who claim it’s greatest privilege; Citizenship. It would also be the most Patriotic.

Semper Fi!

WHO'S WHO? THE ART OF CYBER-CAMOUFLAGE by Willie Hager

A few political operatives of the Right have spent millions of donated money to appear as a "mass movement" of outraged Right-thinking Americans. In reality, there are pitifully few of them, but they have enough support from the Bush/Rovian/Nixonesque political establishment to oil their machines.

The logistics are easy: Take $10 million dollars, hire a web consultant and fancy P.R. firm, reserve a few snappy, misleading domain names, and post your "truth-as-fact" in as many places as it takes to scatter the opposition.

If you're lucky, you might get to rewrite history your way. If not, well, a quick change of identity using what I call cybercamo; and who will know the difference?

Button up, I say. We're coming. And we know exactly Who's Who!

Take, for example, John Kerry's presidential candidacy and the efforts of the Not-So-Swift-Vets For Truth" (NSSV) to discredit Kerry's legitimate Vietnam service record and participation in Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). Through the formation of PACs, 527s and multiple websites with names like wintersoldier.com, (pure cybercamo; it's also the name of a powerful VVAW action now being re-released nationwide on film), the NSSV won a great victory, the Presidency, but left many Americans disheartened and distressed.

Truth is not found in a slogan, or an icon; nor is it found in the coffers or the words of the politically powerful. It is found in the hearts, minds and experience of those who sacrifice to get the word out despite a dazzling glitter of half-truths, distortions, character assassinations and outright lies.

As organizations like the NSSV spin webs of deceit to sustain their personal and political (and largely financial) interests, we little folks and progressive types (like VVAW) sail our modest cybersled computers right alongside them, but with a completely different mission: We refuse to have our history rewritten.

You see, even a child of the forties like me recognizes the potential of the Internet to grassroots' organizing. Thanks to Bill Gates, it no longer takes millions to raise consciousness. Getting the word out by website/email costs as little as $11.95 per month. When the war in Iraq came along, for example, we were no longer stifled by the cost of paper and postage. We reassessed our positions, reframed our arguments in the spirit of George Lakoff, and rejoined the ranks that had sagged after the sorry results of the November elections.

In the spring of 2005, we rallied our resources to participate in an historical open debate with the NSSV at the 5th Triennial Vietnam Symposium at Texas Tech University (TTU) in Lubbock. As expected, the NSSV employed the same self-serving tactics, tricks and smokescreens they used under various names in the Nixon era. Our panel, consisting of early VVAW leaders, artists and authors, countered the way we always have: with the truth.

The TTU debates demonstrate that while cybercamo may work online for the NSSV, even with a $10 million dollar bankroll left over from anti-Kerry/VVAW campaign, it is hard to fool a live audience. Not only were the NSSV's attempts to rewrite history exposed in Texas by their words and actions, the unedited TTU videos are available online for everyone, history included, to judge for themselves.

The Inspiration of TTU

After Lubbock, some of us took positive action, forming VetSpeak.com, vowing to speak truth to power whenever the NSSVs or the like-minded attempted to publicly minimize and rewrite the sacrifices and contributions that VVAW (and other progressive organizations) make to America.

The NSSVs, however, realizing the serious credibility problem with Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, morphed into other liberal- or benign-looking identities (Google Scott Swett for a list) using, you guessed it, cybercamo. By repeating their messages in many forums, under many names, and using all the tricks that money can buy, the technique allows them to appear larger and more accepted than they are.

A strange and wonderful irony is that the more the NSSV attempts to destroy the image of VVAW, the more they actually enhance and reinforce it. (See Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation.) There are many examples that highlight the basic philosophical differences between veterans organizations like VVAW (powered by objective truth) and the NSSVs (funded by Big Money). At the very best, these vets are uninformed, automaton, self-proclaimed patriots. At the very worst, they are the paid henchmen of the Bush Administration, motivated by personal and political gain, to rewrite a history that was never theirs to rewrite.

Button up, I say. We're coming. And we've always known exactly Who's Who!

Semper Fi,
Willie Hager