Another Neo-Con story ... sort of...
In the Fall of 1966 I traveled with President Lyndon B. Johnson to six countries in 17 days for the Manilla Summit Conference, to rally our allies in South Vietnam.
I rotated between four 707s: The Press plane, occasionally Air Force One, the back-up plane and the "Zoo Plane." The latter was the most fun, by far.
Everyone on the manifest who wasn't somewhere else ended up there.
I vividly recall a poker game--- pot limit, table stakes --- on the Zoo Plane, en route from American Samoa to New Zealand --- about five hours flying time.
The players included the Under Secretary of State for Administration, the Marine Corps aide to the President (a Major,) his assistant --- a Master Sargeant --- , a White House speech writer (me), and several Fillipino-American waiters from the White House Mess. (All US Navy, all Fillipinos --- unlikely in today's PC world.)
I don't believe such a wide swath of the social strata would be conceivable elsewhere. Only in America. We believe (in theory) that every man is as good as the next. Most Neo-Cons believe deeply in meritocracy. That's the point of the story.
The Marine Corps Aide shoved in a huge stack of chips, and bluffed out his assistant, who had some real cash in the pot. He then did the unforgivable: Turned up his cards and announced to one and all: "I bluffed you out."
The Master Sargeant said "*&^%%#!!! --- sir."
As it happened I had an incredible run of luck. I put my stash in my back poket, and there it stayed for the whole journey. When I returned home, we bought a piano, One of my children plays it (well) to this day.
Over the years, I probably broke about even. I haven't gambled on anything for about five years. I'd like to again, moderately.
Ben
I rotated between four 707s: The Press plane, occasionally Air Force One, the back-up plane and the "Zoo Plane." The latter was the most fun, by far.
Everyone on the manifest who wasn't somewhere else ended up there.
I vividly recall a poker game--- pot limit, table stakes --- on the Zoo Plane, en route from American Samoa to New Zealand --- about five hours flying time.
The players included the Under Secretary of State for Administration, the Marine Corps aide to the President (a Major,) his assistant --- a Master Sargeant --- , a White House speech writer (me), and several Fillipino-American waiters from the White House Mess. (All US Navy, all Fillipinos --- unlikely in today's PC world.)
I don't believe such a wide swath of the social strata would be conceivable elsewhere. Only in America. We believe (in theory) that every man is as good as the next. Most Neo-Cons believe deeply in meritocracy. That's the point of the story.
The Marine Corps Aide shoved in a huge stack of chips, and bluffed out his assistant, who had some real cash in the pot. He then did the unforgivable: Turned up his cards and announced to one and all: "I bluffed you out."
The Master Sargeant said "*&^%%#!!! --- sir."
As it happened I had an incredible run of luck. I put my stash in my back poket, and there it stayed for the whole journey. When I returned home, we bought a piano, One of my children plays it (well) to this day.
Over the years, I probably broke about even. I haven't gambled on anything for about five years. I'd like to again, moderately.
Ben
posted by Ben Wattenberg at 12:32 PM
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