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| Home Front: Politix | |
| Kerry Insults Italian Military | |
| 2004-10-15 | |
| All Italy is abuzzing today about a Kerry gaffe aired last night on HBO in Italy. As reported in today's Corriere della Sera in Italy, Defense Minister Antonio Martino criticized John Kerry for an incredible remark that the conditions of the Iraqi Army were so bad that even the Italian Army could kick their a**es. Martino remarked that Kerry, "instead of saying what he thinks, should think about what he says." Several prominant Americans have insulted the post-WWII Italian military for no reason, including an ambassador on a tour of their navy in a skiff, who asked whether they should instead be taking a glass-bottomed boat. The Italians are very sensitive on the subject.
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| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #25 In WWII, the Ghurkas said the Italians were some of the bravest fighters they faced. That's good enough for Me. Heck, I sure wouldn't fight very hard for Il Duce or Der Furher either. But back to the main point, after this many times, I don't think it's a slip any more. J. Forbes Kerry is more comfortable with our enemies than our friends, just like Jimmeh. You know what? I do question his patriotism. I used to think he was just your standard idiotarian, but I now think he's still a hate-America leftist and always was. His "flip-flops" are just when he's torn between his beliefs and trying to not act too far to the left for Massachusetts voters. |
| Posted by: jackal 2004-10-15 9:54:30 PM |
| #24 They DID conquer Albania! and let's not forget the snazzy military uniforms... |
| Posted by: borgboy 2004-10-15 8:35:34 PM |
| #23 .com and raptor My sincerest thank you, I am still not ready to move but I prefer hot and dry climates. :-) |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-10-15 7:01:53 PM |
| #22 What happened to the Italians since the time of Julius Caesar? I think they may actually have gotten tired of war. The early middle ages was apparently a pretty violent time, with Lombards and Muslims constantly attacking, and driving most of the inhabitants up to the hilltop towns that you see everywhere today. Later these towns spent several centuries fighting each other. |
| Posted by: V is for Victory 2004-10-15 6:03:53 PM |
| #21 After the war Luigi Durand de la Penne (the italian who entered Alexandria) had a decoration pinned on his chest by none other than by the commander of one of the damaged battleships. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-10-15 5:47:55 PM |
| #20 Tell us again JFM! It's worth hearing often! Seriously. Far as the Italian Navy, I recall that the Captain of the Queen Elizabeth was making fun of them about the same time the attached mine went off. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-15 2:01:43 PM |
| #19 WWII was an abberation, and we were lucky because of it, but remember the Italians have a fightin' tradition going back 2500 years! |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-15 12:31:58 PM |
| #18 ...and, through his silence, the Australians, for favoring the war and re-electing Howard by a landslide. Kerry wasn't actually silent; his sister went there to ostensibly do a get-the-expat-vote. She informed the Aussies that the bombings in Bali and at their embassy were because they'd joined the US on the WoT; essentially saying the best way to be safe was to not re-elect the current government. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-10-15 11:43:18 AM |
| #17 BH...like the Cheney comment... That's an interesting observation. But I still suspect he is just stupid and says whatever pops into his head from one crowd to the next - never remembering or caring. Kerry's mom to lil' Kerry's mom: son, it's a good thing you have all that ambition, cause you sure don't have any brains. And remember, integrity, integrity, integrity! |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-15 9:59:09 AM |
| #16 The Italian Army in WW2 had pre WW1 and WW1 equipment(not sure about quality of the leadership)they were badly out classed.JFM,come to Arizona.We have a fine wine called Tombstone Red,goes great with scorpion,tarantula,and rattlesnake. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2004-10-15 9:50:15 AM |
| #15 I just posted a linked story about Japans' leaders slamming Kerry re: NK specifically, but the "coalition of bribed and coerced" was a particularly non-nuanced bit of stupidity |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-10-15 9:28:34 AM |
| #14 Have you noticed lately that the candidate who keeps saying we need to build strong alliances and repair our relationship with traditional allies has been systematically insulting all of the coalition members? I'm starting to wonder if this is a tactic to drive our real allies away in order to affect our success in Iraq. It has that weird feeling, like the Cheney comments, that he is saying one thing while meaning another. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-10-15 9:23:11 AM |
| #13 sigh...I suppose we will all be in a similar position if Kerry wins. But I'd be concerned if I were Chirac. Kerry will probably just give China the nukes for free...to deter them from using them and all that other psychobabble....and cost Chirac his lucrative contracts. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-15 5:40:26 AM |
| #12 Not quite, 2b. Beijing is looking to buy more than chocolates from Chirac. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-10-15 5:34:04 AM |
| #11 JFM...are you French? If so, I'm sorry. Nothing against you personally and the other good French people who are being taken for a socialist ride. It's just that the whole Anti-American thing wears on us and we get tired of it. My apologies. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-15 5:31:25 AM |
| #10 JFM - If Bush wins, I think it'll be time to get you outta there. You've done your bit, we should get your tail over here where you belong. What sort of climate do your prefer, friend? We've got it, regardless, somewhere in the US. Now if Skeery wins, well, you'll have to go underground and wait it out, like me. It could get pretty bleak... no make that: it will get pretty bleak. And it will take 4-6 years to undo the damage of those 4 years, so I'm figuring on about 10, total, just to return to the current point. Of course, we'll have gained some bloody but useful experience in that time, being fucking defenseless and having no leadership. Israel might have a few smokin' holes and be largely uninhabitable and Iran may be slagged to glass. I think the silver lining of a Skeery win is that we'd have to kill or deport a large chunk of our loonies when they refuse to accept Skeery's failed re-election or successful impeachment, whichever it turns out to be. That would be a bloody good thing, bro. I'll come back for the festivities. Then you can come home. Cheers, bro. Please ignore our more strident anti-French voices. They're lumping everyone in with the Chirac regime. Bad leaders can take good people for a bad ride. Zappie and Skeery come to mind immediately. Be patient with us. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-15 5:25:19 AM |
| #9 JFM...interesting. Ahh..but that was then....now the only thing the French have in their arsenal are Belgian chocolates that they offer to their enemies if they will go away. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-15 4:20:19 AM |
| #8 RWV You should watch your history. In June 1940 Italy stabbed France in the back (Roosevelt's own words) but despite being heavily outnumbered and depleted the Army of the Alps repulsed the Italians with heavy losses. Only in the far south of the front (Army of the Rhone was more concerned about Germans adavancing from the North) did the Italians manage to make a tiny advance and reach the outskirsts of Menton: the first village after the border, just a couple miles of it. BTW, the success against the Italians boosted the morale of the Army of the Alpes whose detached units stopped the Germans who were advancing towards Lyon Sock Pupppet of Doom. The Italians problem was not only lack of leadership and morale but abyssal equipment. During Wavell's ride in late 1940 they had nothing who could take the Matilda tank, their second line units had guns who were over fifty years, the bad thing being that those guns missed the revolution who occurred around 1890 and were crap even in 1914. But the few units who were devcently equipped and led were not respectable they were heroical. It was the Ariete division and the Italian paratroopers who fighting agasint impossible odds managed to save the Afrika korps at el Alamein. For the Italian navy: it was a white elephant: it was poorly trained since all the money went to build ships who looked impressive on paper but lacked essential facilities. At Cape Matapan the Italians lacked ammo with reduced flames for night fighting, meaning that the British gunners could easily pick Italian ships from the flames of their guns while that those same flames had a severe effect on the night vision of the Italian gunners. But Italian manned torpedoes infiltrated Alexandria's haebor and inflicted severe damage on two British battleships. A testimony of Italian courage. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-10-15 2:26:43 AM |
| #7 So this means Kerry has sneered at --Allawi (a "puppet"); --Kwasniewski and the Poles (pimps); --the Italians (clowns); --and, through his silence, the Australians, for favoring the war and re-electing Howard by a landslide. What a disgusting, pathetic, petty little sh*t this man is! He's as nasty and stupid as Jimmy Carter. Screw this shameless little opportunist. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-15 1:55:31 AM |
| #6 I've always thought that Italian military deficiencies in WW2 were related to a widespread reluctance among Italians to get their asses shot off for Mussolini and his master, Hitler. This is scarcely something to fault them for. Even so, the Italian forces did have much to be proud of, and many of their deficiencies are exaggerated in popular history. The daring feats of the Maiale ("human torpedoes" ie, UDT mini-subs) were among the most remarkable of the whole war, and reflect a flair for special operations that is still evident today. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-10-15 1:50:30 AM |
| #5 Wow. A few more remarks like this and Kerry will not have any Europe left to be nuanced and diplomatic with. Fabrizio Quattrocchi was a civilian, but if the Italian Army has any more like him, they've got spunk and to spare. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2004-10-15 1:20:16 AM |
| #4 All dissing of the italian military is based on it's poor leadership and morale in WW2. The Italians under Rommel were respectable fighters. Kerry is a complete moron classist moron. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-15 1:08:29 AM |
| #3 For that matter, the Italian Army can kick all the French ass it cares to. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-10-15 12:57:43 AM |
| #2 Thank you to the Italians for your service in Iraq! Kerry's gross ignorance of European affairs is a hazard in anyone who holds national office. |
| Posted by: mom 2004-10-15 12:48:57 AM |
| #1 Got a couple of media outlets of his own too, doesn't he? |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-10-15 12:40:51 AM |