Walz's critique of the Iraq War, from the standpoint of a veteran who spent decades in the military, should be enough to make him an American hero. One hopes he will continue to heed the example of other contemporary heroes who dedicated their lives to higher principles, like Aaron Bushnell. I wrote about his profound act of dissent and conscience, which should shame every elected leader who supports the ongoing genocide in Gaza. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/dont-look-away
It's interesting that the last Democrat to run for the White House having publicly opposed the Iraq War went on to win it, only to then backtrack and buttress the military-industrial complex at every opportunity (while reviving Joe Biden's then moribund career) once he got in office. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/i/140911089/obamas-obfuscations.
We don't have political parties. We have political cults. The whole point behind an army in a free county is to protect the country. It is not to execute some fruitcake foreign policy cooked up by some congresscritters.YOU'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY. I served 4 years in the AF during 'nam. I discouraged all 6 of my kids from entering the military (successfully). I told them that if they felt the country faced an existential threat from somewhere, by all means enlist. Otherwise, they should find their cannon fodder elsewhere.
Klip, if anything is going to make people stop and think, it is articles like this. I have not seen anyone else dig this far back to look at his positions.
It’s shocking how little context is provided in articles of his service record. The generous view is that it’s political reporters writing about military which they aren’t familiar with
I'm from MN. The main thing that gives me unease over Walz is that he is willing to subjugate himself to someone like Kamala, even for a shot at the VP slot.
In all fairness, serving as a VP doesn't quite entail "subjugation." Recent VPs have grown increasingly active in the policy. For instance, one could plausibly argue that both the George W Bush and Obama administrations were substantially driven by their respective VPs, Cheney (whose foreign policy and constitutional vision defined Bush's legacy) and Biden (whose deference to Wall Street likely encouraged Obama's deference to Wall Street in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse).
Please do not forget George Bush the Elder, the ex director of Central Intelligence Agency who was effectively the president for Ronald Reagan's years in office, most definitely Bush was in charge for the period after Reagan's near death by assassination (by a child of one of Bush's own social circle!).
Mike Deaver, Jim Baker and Ed Meese might disagree with that assessment. Surely Daddy Bush was working his agenda off somewhere, but he was not an alpha in that administration. Dick Cheney, G H W Bush was not.
I must disagree. The elder Bush was rather deeply involved in creating the "Reagan administration" in the first place, his long term association with the CIA and contacts were instrumental in organizing the coup against Carter.
Tim Walz brings a dash of Lake Woebegone made softer by his Andy Griffith grin. He served our country in the military. He admits to "misspeaking" about actually carrying a weapon. All this deflects from the interview evasion and vacant policy position of his running mate, Kamala H. Imagine being this close to a Presidential election where one side rails about Dems lying and the other is busy spreading positivity and "joy" ( Matt Taibbi and Walter Kirn did a minute about this last week) I doubt Tim Walz will come clean about his reasoning, but he doesn't have to. He just has to tow the line till the convention and election. Now, if he debates Vance, who has claimed "stolen valor" against Walz, we might get an answer...but no guarantees with these two campaigns. Good article!
What exactly is “misspeaking”? What he “misspoke” about was his comments... It wasn’t like he misunderstood something that someone else said and then mischaracterized it; this was his claim yet someone, other than him, told the truth. He didn’t “misspeak”, he lied and was caught but he will never be challenged for his deceit. If he lied to us about an innocuous non-action just wait until he has the full force and power of the second highest office this country can offer.
My dad, his brother, and my brother all went in enlisted and did their 20 years in the Navy. My brother got a scholarship and retired an F-18 pilot just a few years ago. They get all little crabby when you start criticizing US foreign policy; indignantly objective would be the best way to describe it. At the end of the day, it was a job they were incentivized to keep until they got their full pension. That doesn’t mean they’re proud of it, but we can be grateful for their service anyhow.
I became company commander of my Army Reserve unit on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001. I can tell you the visceral reaction I had on Sept. 11 - the same feeling my Army brothers and sisters had. Klip is exactly right - Walz is ceding the ground when he is silent on why he retired before his unit deployed. I’m waiting, but do not think a good answer is coming anytime soon.
I think we all need to remember, his Dad was "a chain smoking Korean war vet". My Mom said an uncle came back and had a hard time with reintegration. I have relatives that are Vietnam vets and close friends who are post 9/11 vets.
They have PTSD, injuries, etc. Tim Walz grew up in a house like that. Maybe he saw a little more than us judging, and that was why he made the choice.
From what I've read, he insinuated more than the time you described above, that he had served in combat. Also, and also importantly, he was 'frocked' with the title Command Sargeant Major, but he never officially attained that rank, and so he was shortly dismissed from that title. For me, I find these way more troubling than the retirement issue, as do many others.
Yes Ken - it is too generous. Walz should know better. My husband served during Desert Storm but he is quick to point out that he didn't deploy. The same with my brother-in-law. My father served two tours in Viet Nam. While there he was awarded the Bronze Star. We learned about it at the end of his life. It turns out that he was embarrassed by it - he wasn't in the front lines getting his ass shot off in Viet Nam and those soldiers who did were the ones who deserved it.
Yes, too generous. It seems like he's trying too hard to show-off his military service. It occurred quite often in regard to promoting legislation in the House. The thing is it seemed quite gratuitous to me. He would have looked better and classier if he had just presented the bills and left out the embellishment.
Gratuitous? Using the 24 years of experience enlisted to then go to Congress to pass legislation to improve things for our troops and soldiers. He has a net worth of around $300k or a very modest number near that. Also, I don't know shit about shit when it comes to ranks, etc...but I've watched at least 20 different videos of different vets talking about his process and had no problem with it. Adam Kinzinger goes over it in a bulwark pod and it made sense to me.
His service is honorable and I wish more would do community or military service. My own daughter serves in the guard and has helped build a school overseas and fights forest fires. Be honest ! Don't say you used "weapons in war" when you did not. Don't falsify a rank that you never earned. He did not do the work and was demoted but continued to use the provisional one.
This morning CNN reports he "misspoke" during the 2006 election about a speeding/DUI when he was already a teacher. This is now a pattern and I do not like it.
"If we're ever gonna have a revolution, it'll be because of anti-war veterans." That's what I told the Viet vets who worked with me on the G.I. Rights Hotline in the 1990s. Glad to see Walz among them. I also wish John Kerry would speak on his behalf: he ran a node of Veterans for Kerry in 2006! Someone should ask Walz about the latter, and the first Swiftboating back then
One anecdote from a, according to you, former Service member, and your lack of actually addressing the facts as to Tim Waltz’s comments on video and audio, I had you down for an honest man, not a hack, that is my mistake. Therefore, I’m terminating my Paid subscription good day, sir.
Walz's critique of the Iraq War, from the standpoint of a veteran who spent decades in the military, should be enough to make him an American hero. One hopes he will continue to heed the example of other contemporary heroes who dedicated their lives to higher principles, like Aaron Bushnell. I wrote about his profound act of dissent and conscience, which should shame every elected leader who supports the ongoing genocide in Gaza. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/dont-look-away
It's interesting that the last Democrat to run for the White House having publicly opposed the Iraq War went on to win it, only to then backtrack and buttress the military-industrial complex at every opportunity (while reviving Joe Biden's then moribund career) once he got in office. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/i/140911089/obamas-obfuscations.
Ultimately, weapons sales and militarism are at the core of the Washington consensus that unites the corporate political parties and their duopoly. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/weapon-sales-unite-washingtons-warring. In that context, Walz offers a different example—one emphasizing service, rather than his own self-aggrandizement, or transactional service to a set of industries. Beyond his various positions, that theme might present the greatest significance of his vice-presidential candidacy. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/a-senior-democrat-notes-how-career
We don't have political parties. We have political cults. The whole point behind an army in a free county is to protect the country. It is not to execute some fruitcake foreign policy cooked up by some congresscritters.YOU'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY. I served 4 years in the AF during 'nam. I discouraged all 6 of my kids from entering the military (successfully). I told them that if they felt the country faced an existential threat from somewhere, by all means enlist. Otherwise, they should find their cannon fodder elsewhere.
Thank you for your service. Both to the nation and your service to our common humanity.
Klip, if anything is going to make people stop and think, it is articles like this. I have not seen anyone else dig this far back to look at his positions.
It’s shocking how little context is provided in articles of his service record. The generous view is that it’s political reporters writing about military which they aren’t familiar with
I'm from MN. The main thing that gives me unease over Walz is that he is willing to subjugate himself to someone like Kamala, even for a shot at the VP slot.
Much better thing to criticize him for than his retirement!
In all fairness, serving as a VP doesn't quite entail "subjugation." Recent VPs have grown increasingly active in the policy. For instance, one could plausibly argue that both the George W Bush and Obama administrations were substantially driven by their respective VPs, Cheney (whose foreign policy and constitutional vision defined Bush's legacy) and Biden (whose deference to Wall Street likely encouraged Obama's deference to Wall Street in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse).
@Shahid Buttar
Please do not forget George Bush the Elder, the ex director of Central Intelligence Agency who was effectively the president for Ronald Reagan's years in office, most definitely Bush was in charge for the period after Reagan's near death by assassination (by a child of one of Bush's own social circle!).
Mike Deaver, Jim Baker and Ed Meese might disagree with that assessment. Surely Daddy Bush was working his agenda off somewhere, but he was not an alpha in that administration. Dick Cheney, G H W Bush was not.
@Klaus
I must disagree. The elder Bush was rather deeply involved in creating the "Reagan administration" in the first place, his long term association with the CIA and contacts were instrumental in organizing the coup against Carter.
I defer. I will look into that for better understanding of that period. Do you have any recommendations?
Look into the treasonous arrangements made with the Iranians NOT to release the embassy staff/hostages until AFTER the November '80 election.
Tim Walz brings a dash of Lake Woebegone made softer by his Andy Griffith grin. He served our country in the military. He admits to "misspeaking" about actually carrying a weapon. All this deflects from the interview evasion and vacant policy position of his running mate, Kamala H. Imagine being this close to a Presidential election where one side rails about Dems lying and the other is busy spreading positivity and "joy" ( Matt Taibbi and Walter Kirn did a minute about this last week) I doubt Tim Walz will come clean about his reasoning, but he doesn't have to. He just has to tow the line till the convention and election. Now, if he debates Vance, who has claimed "stolen valor" against Walz, we might get an answer...but no guarantees with these two campaigns. Good article!
What exactly is “misspeaking”? What he “misspoke” about was his comments... It wasn’t like he misunderstood something that someone else said and then mischaracterized it; this was his claim yet someone, other than him, told the truth. He didn’t “misspeak”, he lied and was caught but he will never be challenged for his deceit. If he lied to us about an innocuous non-action just wait until he has the full force and power of the second highest office this country can offer.
I didn't want to say, "he lied", but of course you're right.
AFAIK he did carry a weapon, just not in an active war zone or on the battlefield.
My dad, his brother, and my brother all went in enlisted and did their 20 years in the Navy. My brother got a scholarship and retired an F-18 pilot just a few years ago. They get all little crabby when you start criticizing US foreign policy; indignantly objective would be the best way to describe it. At the end of the day, it was a job they were incentivized to keep until they got their full pension. That doesn’t mean they’re proud of it, but we can be grateful for their service anyhow.
Great article Ken 👊🏻
Glad you liked it Danielle !
I became company commander of my Army Reserve unit on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001. I can tell you the visceral reaction I had on Sept. 11 - the same feeling my Army brothers and sisters had. Klip is exactly right - Walz is ceding the ground when he is silent on why he retired before his unit deployed. I’m waiting, but do not think a good answer is coming anytime soon.
People forget but the whole country felt that way! If I wasn't in junior high school maybe I would've enlisted too.
Much of the country, sure, but many of us recognized the writing on the wall even at the time. I wrote a bit more recently about one example of the echoing eras of nonviolent domestic resistance to American imperialism. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/history-might-not-repeat-but-it-certainly
I think we all need to remember, his Dad was "a chain smoking Korean war vet". My Mom said an uncle came back and had a hard time with reintegration. I have relatives that are Vietnam vets and close friends who are post 9/11 vets.
They have PTSD, injuries, etc. Tim Walz grew up in a house like that. Maybe he saw a little more than us judging, and that was why he made the choice.
From what I've read, he insinuated more than the time you described above, that he had served in combat. Also, and also importantly, he was 'frocked' with the title Command Sargeant Major, but he never officially attained that rank, and so he was shortly dismissed from that title. For me, I find these way more troubling than the retirement issue, as do many others.
That stuff strikes me as him being confused with a complicated bureaucratic process, is that too generous?
Yes Ken - it is too generous. Walz should know better. My husband served during Desert Storm but he is quick to point out that he didn't deploy. The same with my brother-in-law. My father served two tours in Viet Nam. While there he was awarded the Bronze Star. We learned about it at the end of his life. It turns out that he was embarrassed by it - he wasn't in the front lines getting his ass shot off in Viet Nam and those soldiers who did were the ones who deserved it.
Yes, too generous. It seems like he's trying too hard to show-off his military service. It occurred quite often in regard to promoting legislation in the House. The thing is it seemed quite gratuitous to me. He would have looked better and classier if he had just presented the bills and left out the embellishment.
Gratuitous? Using the 24 years of experience enlisted to then go to Congress to pass legislation to improve things for our troops and soldiers. He has a net worth of around $300k or a very modest number near that. Also, I don't know shit about shit when it comes to ranks, etc...but I've watched at least 20 different videos of different vets talking about his process and had no problem with it. Adam Kinzinger goes over it in a bulwark pod and it made sense to me.
Seems to me that anyone who served in the military 24 years needs no explanation for retirement.
His service is honorable and I wish more would do community or military service. My own daughter serves in the guard and has helped build a school overseas and fights forest fires. Be honest ! Don't say you used "weapons in war" when you did not. Don't falsify a rank that you never earned. He did not do the work and was demoted but continued to use the provisional one.
This morning CNN reports he "misspoke" during the 2006 election about a speeding/DUI when he was already a teacher. This is now a pattern and I do not like it.
Deciding to not be a part of the "War On Terror" was the only sane thing to do
"If we're ever gonna have a revolution, it'll be because of anti-war veterans." That's what I told the Viet vets who worked with me on the G.I. Rights Hotline in the 1990s. Glad to see Walz among them. I also wish John Kerry would speak on his behalf: he ran a node of Veterans for Kerry in 2006! Someone should ask Walz about the latter, and the first Swiftboating back then
One anecdote from a, according to you, former Service member, and your lack of actually addressing the facts as to Tim Waltz’s comments on video and audio, I had you down for an honest man, not a hack, that is my mistake. Therefore, I’m terminating my Paid subscription good day, sir.