Today’s strip is proof that GA is clearly aimed at those of us who are old enough to remember Truman and MacArthur, if not those of us who are old enough to remember Lincoln and Washington..
Truman should have fired MacArthur many months before he did … WWII would have been 18 months shorter without MacArthur’s huge ego prolonging the fighting. A very, very poor general.
In response to oldbooger: President Truman fired Gen. MacArthur during the KOREAN War, not World War II. Due to his brilliant maneuver in the Inchon landing, MacArthur cut off supplies to the North Koreans, and effectively WON the Korean War. He asked for permission to bomb bridges over the Yalu River, which would have prevented the Red Chinese from sending reinforcements to aid their communist allies in North Korea. Truman refused, and MacArthur publicly criticized him for him it. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination; his excuse was that bombing the bridges would have brought the Red Chinese into the war. In fact, the Red Chines probably would not have dared; the distraction would have given the Nationalist Chinese on Taiwan the opportunity to re-take the mainland. The bottom line is this: President Truman fought the Korean War under the United Nations – and its chief military official was a Soviet. Thus, the communists ran both sides of the war. Is it any wonder we lost?
There is nothing correct about the above Korean War comment, other than the Inchon invasion – a pure hunch on Mac’s part, and opposed by EVERYBODY else, but it worked brilliantly. Other than that, Mac was a pure disaster, at least to the many writers I have read, inc. “The Coldest Winter” is the best one-volume history of the war out there. I think this is a telling thing: Mac never spent a night in Korea during his responsibility for the war, not even during Inchon. Later he split up the conduct of the war into two commands, one on the east going north, one on the west going north, and never the twain knew what the eff the other was doing. I am not a military historian, nor do I play one on TV or in my fantasies, but the ones I’ve read said that breaking the command into two is one of the worst mistakes a commander can make. The stuff about the UN is pure right-wing ideological twaddle. The Soviets hoodwinked us into running both sides of the war? That I not laugh. Actually, “we” hoodwinked them by approving UN intervention when the Soviets were not in attendance because they were off sulking over I forget what now. Truman fired Mac, and rightly, for being an arrogant, preening, insubordinate SOB who thought he should be president, if not God, and who wanted to take nuclear war into China. If those were not Truman’s exact words, that was his attitude, though officially he said he relieved MacArthur of his command because he was unable to give his wholehearted support to the policies of the US and UN, or words to that effect. Nevertheless, despite Mac’s blundering, the war was effectively over by October of 1950 and we had effectively won – by we I mean the US and UN, for this really was a UN war (though the US provided most of the men, materiel, and blood and guts). The North Koreans could no longer carry on; they had been driven up into their northern fastnesses. We should have stopped there and declared victory, for it was a real one. The historian Bevan Alexander in his “The First War We Lost” said that there were two wars in Korea – that one, which we won, and the war after November 1950 that Mac insisted on prosecuting out of pure megalomania, which we lost. It was totally unnecessary. The Chinese did not care especially that we had whipped the North Koreans. Their fear was that they suspected that the US wanted to carry the war into China. Mac actively fanned their fear. By insisting on wanting to go up to (and beyond) the Yalu River, Mac forced the Chinese Communists to do something that they preferred not to do – and spoiled a solid victory and unnecessarily prolonged the war for 2 1/2 more years. If the Chinese, then a relatively weak country, had been interested in taking over all of Korea, they would have given North Korea more support right from the beginning, but they could not afford to. They reacted when they thought THEY were being targeted. As for the Nationalist Chinese, they were never in position to “take over” mainland China, else they would not be where they were, on Taiwan.
I think it’s pretty clear what Washington and Lincoln are saying:
”I want my country back!”
(Them and many Americans over age 65.. most of whom have been hoodwinked into forgetting that we had legal elections in 2008, it was decisive and everything.)
Truman should have fired MacArthur many months before he did … WWII would have been 18 months shorter without MacArthur’s huge ego prolonging the fighting. A very, very poor general.
Really? Is that why fewer GIs died under MacArthur than the wholesale slaughter under Eisenhower in the ETO? If you had ever read a thorough biography of Mac, you would know his strategy was to bypass many Japanese held islands, cutting off their supplies. The Marines hated him, but one of them, William Manchester wrote “American Caesar” and discribed Mac as “America’s most gifted man at arms.”
Moreover, oldbooger, Truman was President for only the last 4 months of WWII. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination during the Korean war, which was six years later. You really need to read some history.
Oldbooger certainly does need a serious history lesson if he believes that WW-II would have ended 18 months sooner without McArthur. The Japanese surrendered shortly after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasiki on August 9, 1945. Eighteen months earlier, in February 1944, the allies were still almost 4 months away from the Normandy invasion. It seems that we really do need a World War II history museum. Now if only the ignorant would actually go there.
Mineola about 13 years ago
How about Kennedy when he said “Ax not what your country can do for you, but what ……..” ?
Stevero about 13 years ago
Today’s strip is proof that GA is clearly aimed at those of us who are old enough to remember Truman and MacArthur, if not those of us who are old enough to remember Lincoln and Washington..
oldbooger about 13 years ago
Truman should have fired MacArthur many months before he did … WWII would have been 18 months shorter without MacArthur’s huge ego prolonging the fighting. A very, very poor general.
Dkram about 13 years ago
Well I do remember a time when we had Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthdays off from school.
\\//_
axe-grinder about 13 years ago
Didn’t Clinton… –no, wait, that was a sax.
Classic comment, Mineola!
LongTom Premium Member about 13 years ago
In response to oldbooger: President Truman fired Gen. MacArthur during the KOREAN War, not World War II. Due to his brilliant maneuver in the Inchon landing, MacArthur cut off supplies to the North Koreans, and effectively WON the Korean War. He asked for permission to bomb bridges over the Yalu River, which would have prevented the Red Chinese from sending reinforcements to aid their communist allies in North Korea. Truman refused, and MacArthur publicly criticized him for him it. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination; his excuse was that bombing the bridges would have brought the Red Chinese into the war. In fact, the Red Chines probably would not have dared; the distraction would have given the Nationalist Chinese on Taiwan the opportunity to re-take the mainland. The bottom line is this: President Truman fought the Korean War under the United Nations – and its chief military official was a Soviet. Thus, the communists ran both sides of the war. Is it any wonder we lost?
NotFromIceland about 13 years ago
There is nothing correct about the above Korean War comment, other than the Inchon invasion – a pure hunch on Mac’s part, and opposed by EVERYBODY else, but it worked brilliantly. Other than that, Mac was a pure disaster, at least to the many writers I have read, inc. “The Coldest Winter” is the best one-volume history of the war out there. I think this is a telling thing: Mac never spent a night in Korea during his responsibility for the war, not even during Inchon. Later he split up the conduct of the war into two commands, one on the east going north, one on the west going north, and never the twain knew what the eff the other was doing. I am not a military historian, nor do I play one on TV or in my fantasies, but the ones I’ve read said that breaking the command into two is one of the worst mistakes a commander can make. The stuff about the UN is pure right-wing ideological twaddle. The Soviets hoodwinked us into running both sides of the war? That I not laugh. Actually, “we” hoodwinked them by approving UN intervention when the Soviets were not in attendance because they were off sulking over I forget what now. Truman fired Mac, and rightly, for being an arrogant, preening, insubordinate SOB who thought he should be president, if not God, and who wanted to take nuclear war into China. If those were not Truman’s exact words, that was his attitude, though officially he said he relieved MacArthur of his command because he was unable to give his wholehearted support to the policies of the US and UN, or words to that effect. Nevertheless, despite Mac’s blundering, the war was effectively over by October of 1950 and we had effectively won – by we I mean the US and UN, for this really was a UN war (though the US provided most of the men, materiel, and blood and guts). The North Koreans could no longer carry on; they had been driven up into their northern fastnesses. We should have stopped there and declared victory, for it was a real one. The historian Bevan Alexander in his “The First War We Lost” said that there were two wars in Korea – that one, which we won, and the war after November 1950 that Mac insisted on prosecuting out of pure megalomania, which we lost. It was totally unnecessary. The Chinese did not care especially that we had whipped the North Koreans. Their fear was that they suspected that the US wanted to carry the war into China. Mac actively fanned their fear. By insisting on wanting to go up to (and beyond) the Yalu River, Mac forced the Chinese Communists to do something that they preferred not to do – and spoiled a solid victory and unnecessarily prolonged the war for 2 1/2 more years. If the Chinese, then a relatively weak country, had been interested in taking over all of Korea, they would have given North Korea more support right from the beginning, but they could not afford to. They reacted when they thought THEY were being targeted. As for the Nationalist Chinese, they were never in position to “take over” mainland China, else they would not be where they were, on Taiwan.
Dirty Dragon about 13 years ago
I think it’s pretty clear what Washington and Lincoln are saying:
”I want my country back!”
(Them and many Americans over age 65.. most of whom have been hoodwinked into forgetting that we had legal elections in 2008, it was decisive and everything.)
436rge about 13 years ago
Jim has got my vote for a splendid Sunday strip today!
countoftowergrove about 13 years ago
oldbooger said, about 15 hours ago
Truman should have fired MacArthur many months before he did … WWII would have been 18 months shorter without MacArthur’s huge ego prolonging the fighting. A very, very poor general.
Really? Is that why fewer GIs died under MacArthur than the wholesale slaughter under Eisenhower in the ETO? If you had ever read a thorough biography of Mac, you would know his strategy was to bypass many Japanese held islands, cutting off their supplies. The Marines hated him, but one of them, William Manchester wrote “American Caesar” and discribed Mac as “America’s most gifted man at arms.”
Moreover, oldbooger, Truman was President for only the last 4 months of WWII. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination during the Korean war, which was six years later. You really need to read some history.
BanditAce about 13 years ago
Oldbooger certainly does need a serious history lesson if he believes that WW-II would have ended 18 months sooner without McArthur. The Japanese surrendered shortly after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasiki on August 9, 1945. Eighteen months earlier, in February 1944, the allies were still almost 4 months away from the Normandy invasion. It seems that we really do need a World War II history museum. Now if only the ignorant would actually go there.
Airboy20 about 13 years ago
ANYWAY, great strip by Jim!
pbarnrob about 13 years ago
Happy Birthday, George!
Happy Birthday, Abe!