March 22, 2005

The 'Left-Over' Karma of Vietnam

DEVOTO @ bitter sanity casts a cold eye at the costs of never really paying for Vietnam:

That's why the Vietnam protests, and their heirs in this decade, have such a disconnected feel about them. They're not contemplating the possibility of defeat. When America is defeated in war, the only result is a little embarrassment. America feels bad for a decade or so. The consequences of defeat - the massacres, the death camps, the loss of sovereignty, the loss of the common person's freedom - these things happen to someone else. Then, the Vietnamese and Cambodians. Here, these things will happen to the Iraqis and Afghans, not to mention the emerging Iranian and Arab democrats. They'll be crushed. But we won't have to think about it too much.

Until the real consequences, this time, break over our heads, years or decades later.

The lead-in to this is even more damning in ways you might not care to think about. Devoto doesn't post often, but is always worth reading.

Posted by Vanderleun at March 22, 2005 12:06 AM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

Our people weren't killed? All those names on the wall in DC? Phantoms? Vietnam was lost because the Moscow led anti-war movement and the MSM was successful in bringing down Nixon. They were supposed to bring down the rest of the nation as well and Carter nearly pulled it off, but we rallied and Reagan came along in the nick of time.

We survived the Clinton years largely because of the emergence of talk radio and the internet. Bush is in charge now and with any luck, the threat from world socialism will be defeated in the foreseeable future.

Islamic countries will be brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century or they will be disarmed and be left alone to continue living in the 12th century. Their choice. It's unlikely any of the younger generation will opt for the middle ages over the information age.

What's the difference between Iraq and Vietnam? Quite simply, the MSM is no longer the sole purveyor of information. We have many ways to learn the truth now and left has been exposed for the liars they are and always have been.

For the first time in many decades, the future looks bright, not only for us here in the U.S., but for people all over the globe.

Posted by: erp at March 22, 2005 7:18 AM

"Our people" = U.S. civilians.

Posted by: P.A. Breault at March 22, 2005 7:44 AM

Beat me to it.

Posted by: Gerard Van Der Leun at March 22, 2005 7:57 AM

Sorry. Normally, I'm not that fast off the mark.

Devoto is right. But if one thinks about it, "loss (or results) without consquence" has long been part of the mindset.

Posted by: P.A. Breault at March 22, 2005 12:44 PM