Ben' resPonse
Sure, there are some neoconservatives who have children in the military. But not that many, certainly not in a greater proportion than the nation at large. And why would neocons groom their kids for the military? BECAUSE --- BELIEVE IT OR NOT --- THEY BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY BELIEVE --- AND SO DO MANY OF THEIR CHILDREN. Most prominent, policymaking neo-cons are ivory-tower Beltway types or upper-East siders whose children would have had better options in life and for whom joining the military just would not make any sense.
Here's an (incomplete) list of neocons and remarks on the service records of their children.
-IRVING KRISTOL: Bill Kristol never served. Did Irving have any other kids who did? DON'T KNOW.
-DICK CHENEY: Neither Elizabeth nor Mary Cheney have served. DICK AND LYNNE HAD CHILDREN --- WHICH GRANTED AN AUTOMATIC EXTENSION FROM THE DRAFT.
-G.W. BUSH: Obviously, Jenna and Barbara are not military and I doubt they ever would be. NO, BUT GWB FLEW JETS --- NOT A JOB FOR THE CHICKEN HEARTED,
-RICHARD PERLE: Jonathan Perle is in mid-20s, has not served in the military, and in fact was pursuing a law degree as recently as 2 years ago. Perle has no other kids. BUT HE HAS A RIGHT TO AN OPINION DOESN'T HE? LAST I HEARD --- AS WE SAID AS KIDS --- "IT'S A FREE COUNTRY, AIN'T IT?"
-NORMAN PODHORETZ & MIDGE DECTER: Son John never served. Any other kids? ONE OF THEIR GRANDCHILDREN WAS IN THE NAVY.
-ROBERT KAGAN: Any clues about Elena and David? DON'T KNOW.
-BEN WATTENBERG: You've got four kids. Danny never served in the military. Not sure about Ruth, Sarah or Rachel but my guess is No. NO COMMENT ABOUT ABOUT IMMEDIATE FAMILY. I SERVED IN THE USAF. I VOLUNTEERED --- WITH TREPIDIATION --- AS A PILOT/NAVIGATOR/BOMBARDIER. HAH ! I ENDED UP AS THE SPORT'S EDITOR OF THE BASE NEWSPAPER AT A HARDSHIP POST (NOT) IN A WONDERFUL CITY CALLED SAN ANTONIO TX.
-DON RUMSFELD: Son Nicholas is an internet entrepreneur. Did he serve? I assume daughters Joyce and Valerie did not. I BELIEVE RUMMY WAS A NAVAL AVIATOR. CARRIER LANDINGS ARE CALLED "CONTROLLED CRASHES." GOOGLE HIM IF YOU WISH TO CONFIRM.
-PAUL WOLFOWITZ: I was not able to find any references to his children's service, but since they were all born after 1977, their careers probably aren't very far along. POSSIBLY CORRECT. PAUL'S PARENTS I BELIEVE, WERE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.
-DANIEL PIPES: Any of his three daughters serve? DON'T KNOW.
James, NY
posted by Ben Wattenberg at 4:58 PM
2 Comments:
This is a pretty muddled reply, Ben. The question you have been repeatedly asked is, which neo-cons have had CHILDREN who served in the military? With your repeated non-responsive answers you are digging yourself into a hole you don't seem to be able to get out of.
In an effort to discover WHICH neo-cons have children who are or were in the military, your reader made a long list of prominent Neo-cons. He pointed out that Jenna and Barbara Bush aren't in the military, and your reply is that GWB "flew jets." How is that relevant to his children's service?
DIck Cheney's daughters were not in the military, and your response is that Cheney was exempted from the draft? HUH????
Don Rumsfeld's kids haven't served, and your reply is that he was a naval aviator????
And when the reader wonders about Paul Wolfowitz's children's military service records, you point out that Paul's parents were holocaust survivors? That, Ben, is the very definition of a non-sequitur.
You have said multiple times on this blog that "Many" neo-cons have kids who serve in the military. The only person in this list that you were able to confirm had any descendants in the military was Norman Podhoretz's GRANDCHILD! Pretty weak, Ben, I must say.
You need to step up your game if you want this blog to be taken seriously.
Ben writes: "I BELIEVE RUMMY WAS A NAVAL AVIATOR. CARRIER LANDINGS ARE CALLED "CONTROLLED CRASHES." GOOGLE HIM IF YOU WISH TO CONFIRM."
Ben, I don't need to Google Donald Rumsfeld to know that he served in the military. My question to you was about the military service of his two daughters, Joyce and Valerie, and his son, Nicholas. As far as I can tell, Rumsfeld's children did not serve in the military.
Your original assertion was that "TODAY, MANY OF THE SONS, AND SOME DAUGHTERS, OF NEO-CONS, HAVE SERVED IN THE VOLUNTEER MILITARY." Many of your readers seem to be interested in substantiation of this claim, beyond the "TRUST ME" you have offered.
Of all the replies (and replies to the replies) on this subject, you have failed to prove your point, I'm afraid to say. I'd like to believe you on this, but you seem unable to defend your position, or even keep the concept of the military service of the parent distinct from that of his/her child.
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