I read the article, Mike. Didn't think much of it, actually. It's based on the traditional right-wing misconception that the war in Vietnam was "winnable", and followed by a well-honed right wing trick of blaming the defeat on a lack of political will which was sapped by back-stabbers at home.
It's not (until you get to Anne Coulter country, at least) as onerous as the German right's post WWI blaming the "Jews" for their defeat - but it's close.
Serge ... just out of curiousity - do you know who like-minded Russians blame for the defeat in Afghanistan? Besides the CIA, is it Menshoviks , Trotskites, reactionary elements, and sabateurs?
I do not believe that the war in Vietnam was ever "winnable." What Ted Kennedy realizes today - something which seems to escape the author - is that when his brother "...saw the conflict in the larger framework of the Cold War and Nikita Khrushchev's threats against West Berlin..." he was just flat-ouy
wrong. The assumption of hegemony between all Arabs, er, Communists, combined with the refusal to recognize the nationalism that underpinned the entire conflict made him wrong.
If Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark had stayed home; if millions of Americans had stayed off the streets - Lyndon Johnson still would have found himself faced with the endless cycle of escalation. If we'd listened to the hawks back then at the very least we would have gotten ourselves into a land war with China; and the possibility of a nuclear war was very, very real.
And if we'd "won" in Vietnam - then the news today could have included the death of Marines at Hue or Siagon or Hanoi in addition to those in Falujah.
Besides, Mike - you've admitted that you are an imperialist who thinks we should be in Iraq for oil and strategic purposes. If it is of neither interest nor importance to you, what possible value could an article that includes language such as "[i]t would behoove Kennedy to see Iraq in the larger context of the struggle to bring democracy, not only to Iraq, but the entire Middle East..." have?
Last edited by PornoDoggy at Apr 7 2004, 05:35 PM