So Democrat Senator John Kerry admits he made a gaffe when he attempted to make a joke at George Bush's expense.
What Senator Kerry says he was trying to make a joke about Bush earlier this week when he said that people who don't succeed in school would likely "get stuck in Iraq." As an ex serviceman, I don't believe for one moment that Kerry was attacking the US forces and genuinely feel has was trying to attack Bush, for being stupid and stuck in Iraq.
The Republican press have jumped on Kerry's comments and implied he was trying to say that US troops are school failures. The point is though, the facts show clearly that what the Republicans are attacking Kerry for supposedly saying is actually true !
Just do a yahoo or google search for "us army recruits low iq" and see the number of hits it brings up ! The Guardian gave a good summary of this in one report last year, but there many others.
It is clear that the US forces are facing a massive recruitment crisis and they are recruiting in much greater numbers from those that previously did not have the academic abilities needed to get in to the US forces.
What also wasn't mentioned by Kerry or the Republicans is the number of US army recruits who are now coming from poor, run down and deprived areas of the US. The Washington Post was writing about this last year, and according to further yahoo searches, this is getting worse.
So, what is ludicrous, is that although Kerry said it by mistake, he was actually in part correct !
5 comments:
As ever with American politics Nicholas it's not the accuracy or otherwise of a remark so much as what your opponents can insinuate from it.
For example - if I wanted to I could suggest that your correlation between the IQ of army recruits and "the number..who are now coming from poor, run down and deprived areas of the US" was tantamount to a suggestion that all poor people are stupid.
Grossly unfair but it shows how easily it can be done. I guess though Kerry should be a seasoned enough political operator not to fall into traps like that...
A good point well made. I think what I was trying to make clear is that although what he (Kerry) was accused of saying was not what he was actually trying to say, he was technically right.
It also probably highlights why he did not win the US presidency, although, he would have been better than Bush, my goodness, virtually anyone would be better than Bush !
Nick, keep away from such assertions regarding IQ.
There is nothing wrong with having a low or high IQ and serving your Country in any capacity whatsoever and being very proud of doing your very best.
Your own family who may or may not be of very limited ability may find themselves being very proud of a child who has surpassed anything that anyone in their family history has ever achieved.
A minefield Nick. I have an IQ that is not equalled by anyone in the Tory party or the Adam smith institute.
I don't look down on them, I just use it to ridicule them and help Labour out.
It's the way it is.Big deal I can't spell.
Gary
I wasn't looking down on anyone, and I rather resent the insinuation that I was. The comments I have made have been about the Kerry issue and fact regarding the IQ of people joining the US forces. I made no comments to denigrate anyone with a low IQ.
I think you need to distinguish between comment on what other people say and my own opinion.
So you don't think it's 'worse' for recruitment to come from run down or deprived areas?
Explain this logic then Nick.
Surely it's a great career move from this section of society.
after all, we do it for the police, teachers and journalists.
Gary
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