September 20, 2006
Wednesday

If you wish to stay in political power, create an atmosphere of uncertainty, and fear. Of the 43 Presidents we have voted into office, 13 have been Democrats and 20 have been Republicans.

As a disabled veteran I got to wondering - How many times have Republican administrations led us into wars and conflicts and found some interesting information on the NET.

The election of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President 1861- 65, was in-part the cause of the American Civil War 1861-65.

While Several Republican Presidents kept America out of wars and conflicts.

Ulysses S. Grant - 18th President 1869-77
Rutherford B. Hayes - 19th President 77-81
James A. Garfield - 20th President 1881
Chester A. Arthur - 21st President 81-85

Their administrations were marred with controversy and corruption.

Benjamin Harrison 23rd President 1889-93 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Chile and Haiti 1891; and Hawaii 1893.

William McKinley 25th President 1897-1901 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Spanish-American War 1898-1901; Philippine Insurrection Campaign 1899-1901;
Cuba 1898-1901; Nicaragua 1898-1901; and Samoa 1899-1901.

Theodore Roosevelt 26th President 1901-09 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Philippine Insurrection Campaign and Cuba 01-02; China Relief Expedition 01-01 (Boxer Rebellion); Cuban Pacification Campaign 06-09; Dominican Republic 03-04; Korea 04-05; Cuba 06-09; Panama 01-09; Honduras 03; Nicaragua 07-09; and Honduras 07-09.

William Howard Taft 27th President 1909-13 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Nicaragua 10-13; Honduras and China 11-13; Cuba, Panama, and Honduras 12-13; Nicaragua 12-13; and Mexico 1913.

Warren G. Harding 29th President 1921-23 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Cuba 21-23; Russia 21-22; and Turkey 22-23.
Calvin Coolidge 30th President 1923-29 committed troops to the following conflicts:
China 22-27; Honduras 24-25; Panama 25; Yangtze China 26-27; and China again 1927-29.

Herbert Hoover 31st President 1929-33 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Yangtze China 30-32; and El Salvador 1932.

Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th President 1953-61committed troops to the following conflicts:
Iran 53; Vietnam and Guatemala 54; On November 1, 1955 President Eisenhower deployed the Military Assistance Advisory Group to train the South Vietnam Army. This marked the official beginning of American involvement in the Vietnam War as recognized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; Egypt 56; Lebanon, Indonesia, and Panama in 58; Cuba 59-60; Guatemala 60; and Cuba 61, the CIA-directed Bay of Pigs invasions failed to overthrow the Castro government.
President Eisenhower warned the American tax payers of the dangers of the military complex in 1961but was unheeded.

Richard M. Nixon 37th President 1969-74 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Vietnam 69-73; Laos 69-74; Oman 70; and Chile 73 - The CIA orchestrated a coup, killing President Allende who had been popularly elected. The CIA helped to establish a military regime under General Pinochet.

Gerald R. Ford 38th President 1974-77 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Cambodia, and Laos 74-75; and Angola 76-77.

Ronald Wilson Reagan 40th President 1981-89 committed troops to the following conflicts:
El Salvador and Nicaragua 81-89; Libya 81; Lebanon 82 84; Grenada 83-84; Honduras 83-89; Iran 84; Libya and Bolivia 86; Iran 87-88; Libya, Virgin Islands, and Philippines in 89.

George H. W. Bush 41st President 1989-93 committed troops to the following conflicts:
Panama 89-90; Liberia 90; Desert Shield/Desert Storm 91-92; Somalia 92-93; Bosnia 93.

George W. Bush 43rd President 2001- whose term expires 2009 now has committed our troops to a Global War On Terrorism which will have no end.

We have given the lives and health of our Troops and now our Republican President and Republican Congress wish we give up our liberty - our rights to privacy - in the name of security.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin

Perhaps it's time to review our history and listen to one of our nation's wisest men. After 15 years of serving in the military and National Guard I urge we continue to support our troops both at home and in foreign countries. Support our troops overseas - BRING THEM HOME.

Johnnie Bustamante
Anchorage , AK - USA




About: "Disabled veteran."

 

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