Marciano on Alis refusal to go to war. Full Letter.

True, people don't realize the governments also have people with an agenda but back then the Black Muslims were a gang and I don't think they have changed much...They are a biased group that hates all whites and sells drugs for income.

While the Viet Nam war was for money, WW2 was for a good reason and Joe Louis helped the war effort tremendously only to be shafted by the IRS later on...it was Marciano and Frank Sinatra that used their influence to get Joe back on his feet.

Still the mentality of the US citizen was far different than it is today...people trusted politicians and governments a lot more than they do today and it was almost sacrilegious to say otherwise for the most part.

 

Whether people agree with his views or not,Ali took a courageous stand.

 

I respected his decision back then if that was his religious belief but the arguments of a lot who were opposed to him were saying that the black Muslims were involved with wars within and killed one another as well...Malcom X was supposedly wacked by the hand of Farrakhan and other Muslims so they did not buy it.

My opinion is he took a gallant stand and faced jail time doing so, whether it was because he felt above going to war or for his religious view, he avoided the fate many other young men at the time, coming back in a body bag,coming home maimed or missing a limb or running away to Canada.

Ali was high profiled so his options were limited but I think he benefited by his Large Profile in avoiding an unpopular war. There were many who went to prison for the same action.

I think the 2 1/2 years he was out of boxing did not really hurt him. IMO he came back stronger physically and mentally.

In retrospect it turned out to be a good decision for Ali

 

It may well have turned out to be a good decision,eventually,but it did n't seem so at the time. As I've said earlier,Muhammad's resolve must be respected. He could have taken the easy way out,and it must have been tempting for him to have done so.

 

Patriotism and Religion are the two big illusions but just tools to control the more gullable of the masses.
Another way of creating division , an us and them

 

So crippet, I,and tens of millions who served the U.S. armed forces, when asked,were somehow more "gullible'.and less informed than you are. The USA
helped save Europe in two wars, and if all people thought like you and Ali,we would not be here posting to each other on the internet. In a Democracy we vote our leaders in office,and must obey the laws as written. If we don't like the leadership, we can throw the bums out in the next election. Otherwise
we have ANARCHY... As the greatest man of the 20th century Winston Churchill said, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other forms of government ". He was right...Peace...

 

I don't think there was an easy way out, so much as it was a choice between Scylla and Charybdis.

 

what's your view on why the usa entered the wars, burt?

 

G, as George Santaytana wrote,"Those that don't read history,are condemned to repeat it ". I'm sure you know the answer G. Heard of Hitler, I'm sure...
Take care...

 

Glad to hear your views, Burt. I have a question for you...no disrespect intended.

If you were black, do you think you would have supported Ali's views or do you think you'd still support the war? I can understand Ali's decision..why go overseas to fight innocent people when your own country doesn't even give you Civil Rights?

 

interesting. so you think it was for moral reasons? fair enough.

 

If any three people are trapped in a cariage compartment with a mad dog, they will generaly work together to overpower it.

 

Complete and utter bull****. With some cow**** also. The ignorance about why America fought in Vietnam is disturbing. You need to put yourself in the time.

America fought in Vietnam because America felt it was in a life or death struggle with Communism, and it felt it was losing. It had lost Chinia about 15 years earlier and felt like things were slippig away. Now you have North Vietnam with the help of Chinia and the Soviet Union looking to expand Communism into Vietnam. Once again communists were attacking a non communist nation. Many Americans including the Presidents in charge at the time believd in the domino theory. They thought if they just sit back and let Vietnam fall, the communists would be emboldned and would overrun that part of the world. That was why they decided to fight in Vietnam. To just say it was fought over money is break room loudmouth bull****.

It was a tough decison for someone in charge. You can argue all day whether of not it was the right decsion, but only a complete idiot ignores the reasons for America to enter the war.

 

Do I have to be the first one to say it. Ali wasn't going to war. Why do I read 3 pages of threads with quotes about Ali going to way. He wasn't going to see one second of combat.

You have to respect a guy who would rather go to jail then go against his beliefs.

 

there was no mad dog in the world war one carriage.