In today's NY Times Thom Shanker summarizes the distortion of history that was Bush's speech to the VFW on Wednesday. After years of refusing comparisons of Iraq with Vietnam, Bush is now flogging that comparison to veterans in yet another effort to manipulate their native patriotism. He wants them to support his last ditch effort to prove he was right after all by shoveling more of their children into cannon fodder. All he cares about is his image in history and he will do and say anything to rescue it if he can.
Shanker rightly highlights the ludicrous Bush claim that the Khmer Rouge slaughter in Cambodia was a consequence of American withdrawal from Vietnam when in fact it was the American invasion that inspired the formation of that insane gang in the first place.
But Shanker's focus on specifics in Bush's speech led him away from what we were told was America's cause in Vietnam at the time. They said we had to win because if we failed communists would take over Indonesia and the Philippines and who knew what after that. Maybe Hawaii. That was what they said. I was there. I remember.
In fact, when we finally withdrew, no such thing happened. What happened instead was that the inherent Sino-Soviet split that our invasion of Vietnam had artificially suppressed finally opened up. What happened was that communist China evolved into the bizarre hybrid of tyranny and capitalism we know today and the Soviet Union went into self-inflicted collapse.
The whole justification for the Vietnam war turned out to be paranoid bullshit.
But what is most outrageous is the way Bush is still willing to take advantage of the historical ignorance of devoted Americans--after all the damage he has done. He has no shame at all. His cynicism and selfishness are unforgivable.
In fact, when we finally withdrew, no such thing happened.
I do not think you have a very good memory. We did not withdraw, we were run out of a country were some of them were shooting at us with bows and arrows. Fact
Where were you April 15, 1975? Did you see the helicopters being pushed off of the aircraft carriers? Fact
But what is most outrageous is the way Bush is still willing to take advantage of the historical ignorance of devoted Americans--after all the damage he has done. He has no shame at all. His cynicism and selfishness are unforgivable. Now that is correct, or Fact
Both him and his VP should be impeached ASAP.
But one thing came to disturb me: we never seemed to be making any progress. No matter how many VC/N. Vietnamese we killed, there seemed to be no shortage of folks willing to replace them.
Why? I asked myself.
It must be because of some idealogical difference, I reasoned.
It couldn't possibly be mistakes on both sides - Geez, look at all these good dead folks.
In the years since, I have learned MUCH about how so many people never mature, even though their bodies do, and in too many cases, the conflicts of childhood hold sway as 'adults'.
What a shame. You responsible folks out there, you effective therapists, God bless you.
Judging by the headlines, you need to breed more.
IMO even Bush himself knows that the Iraq jig is up. So now a political gambit is being played. If he can slow things down and run out the clock in Iraq, he will leave it to a new Democratic administration to pull the plug on this ill-advised adventure. I fully expect Bush to make token troop reductions after September but he will fight substantial reductions all the way until January, 09.
When things go really sour in Iraq, and it will whenever we leave, Bush and the GOP can then make the political claim that it was the Dem's fault. That argument will be used in political campaigns by the GOP for at least a generation.
For those who wonder if this view is too conspiratorial to be true, consider how the "who lost China to the Reds" refrain of the 1950's swept many a Republican into office. I believe that political brains like Rove see this gambit as the only way for the GOP to recoup from the truely great blunder that they committed in Iraq.
Our invasion of Cambodia directly resulted in the genocidal takeover of Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge. It was our "enemy", the Vietnamese, who finally drove out the genocidal Khmer Rouge.
And Bush, who was of fighting age at the time, as was Cheney, Perle, Wolfowicz, and many other initiators of this war, supported the war to the last drop of other people's blood (as Hillary does now) while ducking the bloody portions of the battle over their ideas.
For him to intentionally misstate that our leaving was an error is a lie as big as the lies he told to get us into Iraq. He and Cheney should be simultaneously impeached/removed just for the lies he told about Vietnam.
Shrub's famous 'mission accomplished' sign was fairly accurate; we defeated and dismantled the sovereign authority of an independent state without provacation. We never accomplished that in Vietnam. I think that the media (traditional & new) is dropping the ball by continuing to use Rove's newspeak.
Call it what it is OCCUPATION!
Unregulated, corrupt business practices have flourished under this administration, with the result that millions will be losing their homes and then their livelihoods soon.
The military sucks up most of the wealth of the people then uses it to terrify them into giving them even more. Until most of that wealth is used to benefit the people through education, we will repeat the same mistakes over and over.
When the US leaves - the price of oil will be a bigger issue for out government than the carnage that we've created under the control of the Bush gang.
For us, that made them a dream come true. That's why we gave them the damned things in the first place.
True.
HOWEVER, the reason the French started the conflict WAS rubber. Thousands of Viet Namese died in virtual slavery on French rubber tree plantations (i.e. Michelin, etc.)
Watch added scenes in "Apocalypse Now - Redux".
Later, friend....
He also said (in front of David Brinkley) "I won't be the first American president to lose a war."
Fortunately, sorta, he had the decency to credit failure in Viet Nam for his decision to not run for a second term.
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD PAY THE PRICE.
THE FEW LIKE
BUSH
CHENEY
BIN LOUDEN
THE LEADERS OF IRAN
THE POPE
ALL WANT TO RULE THE WORLD IN THERE BELIFE ONLY
AND IT SEEMS ONLY THE PEOPLE ARE FEELING THE PAIN.
BUSH HIDES BEHIND MADE UP LAWS
BIN LOUDEN HIDES IN PACKASTAN
THE POPE IN ROME
IRAN HIDES BEHIND THERE MASS OF PEOPLE
AND WHO DIES
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
IRAQE PEOPLE
PEOPLE OF 9/11
PEOPLE IN CAFAS IN ROME
PANAMA
ETC.
AND THE WOES WHO CHEER THE WAR AND KILLING ALL SIT ON THE SIDES AND WAIT AS OTHERS DIE.
AND WE AND OTHERES ALOWIT TO CONTINUE.
I'm just old enough to know what a real elementary education meant let alone a HS diploma or a real degree. Many degreed young know far less and have far fewer real intellectual skills than people with a HS degree did 40-50 years ago.
But an honest comparison would not be politically expedient, now or ever.
I am so tired of hearing this!
And the second time I've heard it from you, cash.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/connect-the-dots-karl-ro_b_61175.html
If you're looking for someone to beat, beat yourself. I've got NOTHING to apologize for.
Cash, I REALLY appreciate your views. I RESPECT them 100%. But PLEASE!
(And please stop selling your eBay on HuffPo. It cheapens your views.)
Sorry, but that's it.