I think it's fair to say that all presidents have their records distorted to support whatever agenda people want to support. Since Reagan was around more recently, we hear much more about him than we do about FDR, but I think it would be hard to find a president whose popular image accurately reflects his actual accomplishments and/or screw-ups.
I'm going to cherry pick a couple items from your list that confuse me a bit. First.. Beginning the Manhattan Project is considered "among the most immoral aspects of US society" by modern liberals? Certainly the use of the atom bomb could be considered immoral, depending on the circumstances/reasons, but I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone say that it was immoral to start the project that developed the atom bomb.
Second.. Strategic bombing is considered immoral? I can certainly see how some aspects of it are (fire bombing of Dresden, for example), but bombing an enemy's factories, railways, roads, bridges, etc is an entirely legitimate wartime strategy. The technology available in WWII made significant collateral damage inevitable, but with certain obvious exceptions ("terror bombing," etc), I don't think I've heard anyone say that strategic bombing is any more immoral than shooting enemy soldiers. And by "anyone" I mean anyone who doesn't find all aspects of war immoral. Is that who you're referring to when you say "most modern liberals?"
I'm sure you can find people who morally object to both of these things, but "most modern liberals" consider them "among the most immoral aspects of US society?" That seems to be quite a stretch.
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Date: 10/2/11 16:42 (UTC)I'm going to cherry pick a couple items from your list that confuse me a bit. First.. Beginning the Manhattan Project is considered "among the most immoral aspects of US society" by modern liberals? Certainly the use of the atom bomb could be considered immoral, depending on the circumstances/reasons, but I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone say that it was immoral to start the project that developed the atom bomb.
Second.. Strategic bombing is considered immoral? I can certainly see how some aspects of it are (fire bombing of Dresden, for example), but bombing an enemy's factories, railways, roads, bridges, etc is an entirely legitimate wartime strategy. The technology available in WWII made significant collateral damage inevitable, but with certain obvious exceptions ("terror bombing," etc), I don't think I've heard anyone say that strategic bombing is any more immoral than shooting enemy soldiers. And by "anyone" I mean anyone who doesn't find all aspects of war immoral. Is that who you're referring to when you say "most modern liberals?"
I'm sure you can find people who morally object to both of these things, but "most modern liberals" consider them "among the most immoral aspects of US society?" That seems to be quite a stretch.