30 years gone. American Hero and Villian, suppose most of you Hippies, think mostly of the Villan aspect. I remember his resignation clearly, was working in the traviling carnival, so of course not paying much attention to politics at the time. Hanging out on a break in Haggerston Maryaland, talking to some girl. the local radio was sceaming "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by BTO. suddenly the song cuts off 1/2 way, and Nixon comes on, Bla Bla Bla, I quit! Fuck I was IN SHOCK, did not know what to think or say. Cool part was the local radio guys couldn't think of anything either. As soon as Tricky Dick was done, song comes back on - same place You ain't seen nothin' yet, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet, Here's something that you never gonna forget, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet. ======================================================= You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Bachman-Turner Overdrive I met a devil woman, She took my heart away, She said, I had it comin' to me, But I wanted it that way. I think that any love is good lovin', and So I took what I could get mmh, Oooh, oooh she looked at me with big brown eyes And said: You ain't seen nothin' yet, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet, Here's something that you never gonna forget, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet. And now I'm feelin' better, 'Cause I found out for sure. She took me to her doctor And he told me of a cure. He said that any love is good love So I took what I could get mmh, Oooh, oooh she looked at me with big brown eyes And said: You ain't seen nothin' yet, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet, Here's something that you never gonna forget, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet. Any love is good love So I took what I could get mmh, Oooh, oooh she looked at me with big brown eyes And said: You ain't seen nothin' yet, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet, Here's something that you never gonna forget, B-B-B-Baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet.
My friend and I were at my parents house in suburban Maryland packing up her Toyota Corolla for a trip to Florida. We were almost ready to go; it must of been late morning or early afternoon. When she came running out of the house yelling "Nixons Resigned! Nixons Resigned! Tom Brokaw has a special report on TV and he said Nixons Resigned"! I said "good riddance now let's smoke a few bong hits in celebration and watch the special report before we leave." We both followed the Watergate hearings closely and read the Washington Post daily. Especially, Carl Rowen's almost daily editorials slamming the Nixon administration for months. In reality we both knew it was just a matter of time before he resigned. Good Riddance Trickie Dick
Well, in good conscience, I really can't say too much negative about him. He cut the draft off about a month before I figured I was going to get my greetings. I guess I owe him.:& It's strange, sure is strange. S'anywho, via con dios, Richard.
As we age, and gain life experience... we hopefully lose some of our naive, youthful idealism. When I watched an interview with Nixon, I had the gut feeling that he truly had the best interests of the country, as a whole, in his heart. I wrote him a letter saying so. In return, I received a letter of thanks, written by him personally and signed with a pen in his own hand. Also stated were sincere thanks from Mrs. Nixon. That signature is now worth $1,000.
Yeah, Budz. I have found, by living my life in a "full ahead" mode, that things are neither black nor white, but many, many shades of gray. He did some good things, and he did some not-so-good things, during his term in office. I feel that one of the best things to come out of his presidency was Watergate. It brought the truth of the underhanded nature of politics out into the light where those who would see... could see it. I have a tendancy to accept the not-so-good and the good about people. If I judge at all, I try to put a "value judgement" on the single actions done at any given time by an individual, not on the person as a whole. If we're honest with ourselves, we can see that we are not just "one way". We hold all probabilities within us, and are capable of doing, saying, and thinking many things over the course of our lives. The course of History changes. So do people's minds. I, as a woman, fully put into play the old adage; "To change her mind, is a woman's perogative."
I remember Nixon's economic policy's and his war policy's very well. I also remember Nixon and Dr.Kissinger opened the door to so called free trade with China. That now encourages and allows one sided trade with the Chinese. I also remember Watergate,inflation,regulation,stagflation,recession,investigations of private citizens,the plumbers,very few jobs,the arab oil embargo during the winter and spring of 73 [to punish the U.S. for giving Israel new fighter planes] and of course the war. Nixons legacy will always be about Watergate,a poor economy during his second term [thanks in large part to the billions we were spending in nam] and how he could of ended our involvement in the Vietnam war;but choose not too. In a vane attempt to save his legacy. But,my biggest problem with Nixon was. He sent thousands of young men to a needless death in Vietnam. Without even having a plan for winning the war or an exit strategy when it became obvious the costs in human life was too great. Then in defense of his pro war ideology and to respond too the growing cries to end the war he said. "I will not be the first American President to lose a war". Then the war dragged on for four more years and thousands more were killed [I almost lost my life there] and for what?
Ya know We1,I'm on a nam helo net and everyone except me,believed that the war in Nam was rightous.That,if anything still blows me away.It was a bullshit war right from the get-go,yet some if not most still think it was right.Of course,I'm the only one who openly slams bush at every opportunity,so I will continue to endear myself to them in my own lovable way.Peace
The impression that Nixon always left with me was his devisive rhetoric against young people, especially ones that didn't agree with his policies. He liked to use underhanded tactics against groups that were against him, like putting an FBI trace on Lennon (who had planned to hold an anti-Nixon concert in NYC); orchestrating burglaries of the DNC; and the secret bombings of Cambodia, which set off the college protests. Politicians who use those sorts of methods need to be removed from office regardless of any merits they might have.
you guys are very intresting. Hero and villian, 30 years later and the jury is still out. thanks for all you insite and memories. No mater what, Nixon was definitly a part of the Hippie movment. The symbol of the old guard. I was in Bezerky on his reelection in 72, what a night, lots of car tossing and flaming garbage cans, not very Hippie like I guess. I think he was wrong in a lot and staying in Vietnam was unforgivable, but I think like Sam, he had the best intrest of America in his heart, does not mean he was right.
He was pretty hot in certain aspects of foreign policy.He also is the one who got caught bigtime for having his hand in the cookie jar.In many ways he's not much different than most other politicians in as much as being dirty,cept he did get caught.He didn't start Vietnam,but he sure as hell sent a lot of good men to their graves for no good reason.Cambodia in early 70 was a hotbed of nva and vc movements/supplies,etc.But,what didn't hit the news afterwards was the retaliation of that invasion.Too many lives lost forever for no good reason.
Holy Smokers, Baby !!! If removal of those politicians using these methods were even Possible... We'd have very Empty gov't buildings all over the country. Like the Who lyrics; "Meet the new boss... Same as the old boss". It's a nasty business. And those of our generation, who have tried to change it from the 'inside', have found that they Do have to play the game... only not so hard. I found it easier to talk about this as Xe... it's still to close to my heart, but.... I lost my first husband in Nam in '67 to small arms fire. There was just no equitable way for him to avoid going. He wrote me of the first action he saw... action, that took the lives of many of his company, And of the grunt next to him in the hole. He was such a kind man. He didn't think that he could take a life. But he told me that when you're under fire, you shoot back and scream. I try not to re-live this awful time... I was in the States, and he was being used as cannon fodder. I lost him, but... life goes on. As it always does. I wish that I had those letters now. But when my Mom lost her mind and memory, she burned them... along with all my photos of our short life together. I had left all my stuff in her care, because I didn't want to bring them into a New relationship... Now, the physical momentos are lost in ashes... but I can still see him in my mind.
Wow! I recall NIXON administration being as corrupt as anything could be and his lying was overtly sad, and it was BLATENT as well. Nixon IMO was a crooked liar and should have quit years before he did. t Tho he did go to china and attempted to "show" his statesmanship, I feel the WAR in Vietnam and his oWN paranoia, is what REALLY did him in, tho people seem to only remember WATERGATE, something else he lied BLATENTLY about. I feel he also shoulda gone to JAIL..not to PASS go,,or collect the 200.00 dollars,,(or in his case the Ford pardon), and was only thing he coulda done then, to QUIT! He WAS a quitter ,liar and a POOR excuse for ANY persident, tho our current one is NOT far behind! yes I remember WELL those days and years,, and they were worse than I see written here! For the most part,(in politics, anyhow)!!!!!
