Prevailing myths of the Vietnam War

JWR ^ | May 1, 2000 | Tony Snow

[William McKinley]

THE VIETNAM WAR marked the first time in American history that we waged war not only against a foreign enemy, but against ourselves.

Truth was the first casualty of that internecine fight, which means that now, on the 25th anniversary of our departure from Vietnam, many younger Americans know little about the war other than the grim idiocies passed on by the professors and the press.

Let's refute some of those popular myths. [snip]

• Vietnam War protests set off an age of youthful idealism. [snip]

  Most protesters got involved not because they had lofty feelings about war and peace. They joined in because they were bored, because disobedience was exciting, because the movement provided the next best thing to a dating service and because they wanted a high-minded way to dodge the draft.

  In retrospect, the tactics were wonderfully stupid. The Moratorium, which Bill Clinton helped organize in England, was built on the premise that college students could put an end to global conflict merely by standing around in the street and chanting slogans. Instead of inspiring peace, the young scholars goaded communists into waging a broader war on human liberties. The Soviets and their proxy armies concluded that Americans lacked the spirit or will to fight back.

  Even worse, anti-war organizations proved to be every bit as delusional as the Pentagon's bean-counters. The boat people proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the Vietcong were peddling death and misery -- and yet, left-wing commentators refused to acknowledge the fact. Many still do. Only communism could have turned the Vietnamese people into paupers. Here in America, Vietnamese immigrants have demonstrated their entrepreneurial and economic genius.

• We're finally giving Vietnam veterans their due.

  Although Ronald Reagan and subsequent presidents have lavished Vietnam vets with praise, we can never give them what they deserve, which is their youth.

  We lost nearly 60,000 Americans in a war plagued by shabby planning on one side and a narcissistic anti-war movement on the other. Young people were instructed to fight, but not given the means to win. And when they stumbled home from the hell of jungle warfare, they had to endure taunts from a protest movement that viewed its cowardice as a form of nobility.

  This sorry legacy does, however, permit us to formulate a pithy summary of the "lessons of Vietnam." First, if you enter a war, declare war and build popular support. Second, fight to win. Third, honor those who serve. And fourth, remember: A strong military is necessary not just to fight wars, but to prevent them. No sane outfit will mess with a superpower that not only has the means to fight, but the will to punish aggressors.

[William McKinley]

I think it is clear that Snow totally forgot the Civil War in making that line. :-)

[maestro]

So your point is that you are incapable of communicating a point?

LOL.....

(McKinley's daughter?)

Enjoy reading post# 18,........18 is a 'Great Post'....!!

[William McKinley]

Yes, 18 is a great post, and I don't find much in it I disagree with.

And I still have no clue as to what you are talking about in any of your posts on this thread, nor do I have any clue what you are going off about "McKinely's daughter" about, nor do I have any idea why you were insulting a vet earlier on this thread.

Is it your intention to come across as an ass?

[expat_panama]

Your# 18 ........'Great Post'......

You are kind. But a truly great post is one that you print out and tape on the wall-- like I am doing with your post #20. ;-)

[MEG33]

Perhaps it is moreso on this board but I know Kerry sets off old outrage in me.

There were also a lot of groups promoting the overthrow of the government,led by criminals more than idealists.They blew up a few buildings,robbed banks,people died.Communist infiltration.Flower children

Then there were the plain old hedonists!Hedonism was a religion..If it feels good do it!Clinton?

[maestro]

Sorry,.......

[see above]

.....I went to Vietnam when I was 18. I only wish I knew at the time why I was there. It would have given some meaning to it all. Exactly, of what 'value' is a 'Worldview'...?

(NEA public education)

Sorry,......lunch is served,.....see ya,....'later'.

Thanks for posting this thread!

(USA....'All-around-protection'.....forever!)

[Thumper1960]

I am making numerous copies of #20 to line the walls of my CPU.......in the event it takes a crap and I need to clean it up.

Who needs the old Sears Catalog!

[William McKinley]

OK. Enjoy your lunch. Maybe you can actually make coherent points when you come back.

[maestro]

Thanks.

[mikegi]

But we did defend there for the better part of two decades and Snow overlooks the biggest myth-- the idea that our efforts were wasted. They weren't because our goal was (or was supposed to have been) containment, not conquest. We contained communism (or at least slowed it down a lot) enough for Reagan to finish it off in the '80's. I'd call it a successful Fabian defense.

I've tried to make this point to people for decades. All the men we lost were lost in a cause just as important as WWII. Communism made the Nazis look like amateurs when it came to slaughtering people. They saved us from decades of a new Dark Ages.

[William McKinley]

You're welcome! Thorzine can be hell on an empty stomach, my crazy aunt tells me.

[William McKinley]

I am more of a "start looking forward by first looking back" kind of a guy.

[Tribune7]

bump

[maestro]

You're welcome! Thorzine can be hell on an empty stomach, my crazy aunt tells me.

ROTFLOL.........

Prozik...............is the 'high' of the 21st Century?

LOL

[U S Army EOD]

As far as giving Veterans their due, I was unemployed in 1980 but was trying to get into civil service. I was not allowed to use my VA preference because I had over two years of college, at the same time Jimmy Carter was allowing the maggots to come back from Canada and they had federal jobs waiting on them if they came back.

[Little Bill]

I don't know what anyone is trying to say, aside from insulting each other. I spent 27 months there between 1965 - 1968 with MACV and the 25 DIV, as enlisted scum, 11B, and I thought we should have been there.

Americas last great burst of altruism.

[U S Army EOD]

Good for you. To bad we didn't have another 300,000 troops just like you.

[expat_panama]

Communism made the Nazis look like amateurs

You and me and a bunch here know that but it's amazing how most people don't -- especially the dems and the press. Stalin killed so many more people than Hitler did, and when the last Stalinist- Gorby - called it quits, they gave HIM the friggin' Nobel prize. Maybe Carter is in good company, but if Nobel was alive today he'd be spinning in his grave.

[Little Bill]

It was just something you did, no special thanks needed, we were in a war. All of my friends served alott of them a couple of tours, my dad and uncles served, goes back a long time.

Most of them came back no worse for weare and sit at the end of the bar at the VFW swapping lies along with the rest of the old guys as my Grandfathers generation did.

[WritableSpace]

If you are teen aged and conservative...you have no heart If you are middle aged and liberal...you have no brain

You know, I'm finding that to be partially untrue, in my opinion the liberal hart is too shriveled by all it's bleeding.