Thursday, March 29, 2007
This Day in American History
On this day in 1973, the last United States troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement (other than air support) in the Vietnam War--a phased withdrawal by a Republican President keeping a campaign promise to bring peace to Vietnam. Things would have been fine had not the Democrat controlled Congress later cut off all military aid to the South. That was our defeat, not this action nor the thousands of tactical victories (and one big strategic victory at Tet) our brave troops won in 8 years of fighting with one arm tied behind their backs.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 4:51 AM 
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Roger,
Please refer to previous comments regarding this issue. How's the weatrher in Fantasy Land?
T
Please refer to previous comments regarding this issue. How's the weatrher in Fantasy Land?
T
# posted by 
: 9:40 AM
: 9:40 AM 
Roger,
The United States was never going to "win" a war for Vietnamese self determination that had been waging long before we sent in our first "advisors."
Was the government we supported free, democratic and w/o corruption?
Vietnam was not Afghanistan. Ultimately, the Vietnemese governmaent will more closely resemble ours than anything in place in South Vietnam when we entered or when we departed.
Many people who allied themselves w/ us were killed or suffered. So did many who resisted us.
Our brave troops were incapable of winning a war of Vietnamese self determination.
The conflict in Iraq is much more complicated. We can win the war. Unless the Iraqis want to win the peace there will be no peace.
If every Iraqi decided tomorrow: "I am sick of violence and the first person whom I am going to cool is someone who wasn't born here but who is waging war on my soil against me or the coalition," we would be half way to peace.
Ishmael Reed wrote once: "Know your fruits before entering strange orchards."
Mao wrote: "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
Peace does not grow out of the barrel of a gun.
Read Eccliastes again.
T
The United States was never going to "win" a war for Vietnamese self determination that had been waging long before we sent in our first "advisors."
Was the government we supported free, democratic and w/o corruption?
Vietnam was not Afghanistan. Ultimately, the Vietnemese governmaent will more closely resemble ours than anything in place in South Vietnam when we entered or when we departed.
Many people who allied themselves w/ us were killed or suffered. So did many who resisted us.
Our brave troops were incapable of winning a war of Vietnamese self determination.
The conflict in Iraq is much more complicated. We can win the war. Unless the Iraqis want to win the peace there will be no peace.
If every Iraqi decided tomorrow: "I am sick of violence and the first person whom I am going to cool is someone who wasn't born here but who is waging war on my soil against me or the coalition," we would be half way to peace.
Ishmael Reed wrote once: "Know your fruits before entering strange orchards."
Mao wrote: "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
Peace does not grow out of the barrel of a gun.
Read Eccliastes again.
T
# posted by : 9:18 PM
: 9:18 PM
In the 50s we fought in South Korea (then in North Korea, then in South Korea) and the war never ended, but we never stopped supporting the South and the South is a vibrant economy (although never a perfect country politically) while in the North they're eating tree bark to survive. Had we done the same with South Vietnam--continued war aid and air support--the blitzkrieg in 1975 would have failed and we all would probably be talking about reunification right about now. I am aware of Viet Nam's history but I don't think it's very much like Iraq. We won in Viet Nam; after Tet, the VC was combat ineffective and we were kicking the NVA's butts regularly. The South was never the war power the North was but with our help and air cover, they could have held out, just as South Korea 'held out'. You see the history, but you don't appear to grasp it.
So. The weather in Fantasy Land is good? W/ respect to Vietnam, you are not talking about history, Roger, you are talkiong about wishful thinking.
# posted by : 11:05 AM
: 11:05 AM
How can you have lived back then yet be so ignorant of history? What were you reading at CC, Carlos Casteneda?
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