John,
While I accepted Mike Potter’s and Eric Bergerud’s criticism of my
posts about the Clinton scandal and my concern that our national
security agencies be wary of a White House power grab … even if I felt
Eric’s “right wing” stereotype over-reactive and unfair … I think my
concern about the movie “Bombshell”‘s historical content … and the
possible distortion of it for ideological motives … *is* appropriate
to Mahan for the following reasons:

1. The atom bombs ended the (Asian-)Pacific War in which the Navy and
Marines played no small role. Discussion of them and their history
… and concern about its distortion … is/should be discussable, here.

2. The Marines (and Navy) also served (and suffered) in Korea, which
Hall’s treason helped bring about … the Soviets having just acquired
the deterrent of the bomb to discourage our use of ours against the
North Koreans … and/or their allies.

3. Even in military history, there are political/strategic dimensions
which must be weighed. The USS LIBERTY massacre is just one example.
And my concern about the intellectual Left’s attempt to re-write
military history does *not* make me “right wing,” although as far
left as the median now is ….

4. If you can’t tolerate my historical opinions and concerns then, by
all means John, feel FREE to Delete my posts on sight. But then you
have no right to act shocked or surprised when some of these issues/
concerns hit the media … or screen … and (you in) your face.

5. As to WWII-L, my victimization by its ruling clique was obvious to
and protested by a number of other members … as you well know, John.
My brief (and moderating) riposte to Jack McKillop’s *lengthy* pro-IRA
diatribe — we had been talking about the IRA’s wartime assistance to
the Nazis, bomb-targetting Belfast shipyards, etc. — in no way
justified my purge … and I think I had succeeded in cooling down our
Lebanese friend from some of *his* diatribes … so that he could
become more positive/productive.
So your implication that my purge was because of any extremism
is untruthful, John. It was because some of the WWII-L clique still
smart from the incisiveness of some of my ripostes — i.e., they can’t
take criticism/disagreement and shouldn’t have the “open forum”
responsibilities that they do … but they are not academics and
professionally accountable for their autocratic antics.
(H-High-S, the moderated academic history channel for secondary school
history teaching, has already put up the post, apparently recognizing
the impact-on-youth seriousness of my concern.)
In any case, give my regards to the WWII-L cabal for me, and feel
free to re-post my “Bombshell” post on WWII-L, if you *can* re-evaluate
… tolerate … its relevance.

6. Thanks for your service in Viet Nam, in any case, John. I sometimes
feel like it’s all happening again … only over here, this time:
Saigon, USA.

Lou Coatney, mslrc@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu
Viet Nam *era* draftee/vet (West Texas and Germany)

On Fri, 6 Feb 1998, John Snyder wrote:
> Lou:
> Despite your reference to DiCaprio’s role in Titanic, your post as usual has
> everything to do with your view of politics and virtually nothing to do with
> what the Mahan list purports to be about. I’ve watched your forced departure
> from the WW2 list twice now for similar reasons, and don’t miss you there. I
> would not mourn your departure from this list as well, given your
penchant to
> force everyone else to view your own political agenda. For myself,
however, I
> will simply delete any e-mail from “Louis R” without opening. I’m tired of
> it.
> John Snyder
> ‘Nam Vet
> USN, 1966-70