Vietnam Redux - Why?

This morning I was reading this article about another fatherless child Bush and Cheney have created.  They are truly the destroyers of men and nations.

Then, I read SteinL's excellent diary about Ret. U.S. CJCS Bill Odom's editorial today in Wapo.

Then, I got to thinking about Rummy, Cheney, Wolfowitz and all the others who lied our nation into invading and occupying Iraq.  And I realized they are the same crew that kept us in Vietnam for years after they knew we were defeated.

And I asked, "Why?"

And then it hit me.

Look at the history.  Vietnam was good for the Republican party.  Sure, they had to endure Carter as a 1-termer, but after that they had 12 years of Republican rule.  And, even during his Presidency, they were able to hamstring him with covert activities in foreign lands.

Then, they helped Reagan capture the Presidency, promising to "rebuild" the military.  

And it worked.  Billions flowed to defense contractors again.  Reagan invaded places like Grenada to make us seem tough.

Then Bush I took power.  He invaded Panama, and then Iraq.  Again, billions flowed to defense contractors.

Then, of course, they had to endure Clinton, but they were also able to hamstring him.  And, his triangulation enabled billions to flow to defense contractors for the Kosovo war.

Now, the defense contractors have hit the jackpot.  And, on balance, the Republicans realize that destroying our military to save it actually ain't half bad.

Of course, there are some Dems that are helping them.

When will the American people stop the waste of the lives and tax dollars?  When will they demand that their money be spent on constructive activities?

When?

•  Why? and When? n/t

  by maxschell on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:18:54 AM PDT

•  Don't forget it was the Dems who caused

  Vietnam.

  Both parties are guilty - the american public loves bombing people, as long as not too many rich white kids get hurt in the process, and they are willing to spend big bucks to watch the bombs fall on TV.

  by tiponeill on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:44:33 AM PDT

  •  So, what do we do?

    I think you answered the question of why Dems are permitting Bush to continue making decisions on this, even in the face of his disastrous judgment.

    The question is: what are we gonna do about it?

    by maxschell on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:50:51 AM PDT

    •  All that I know to do is to continue

      supporting candidates who are anti-war, and to continue to try to make peace an "American value".

      And to resist the siren call of those in the Democratic pary who claim that all that is important is to be a Democrat.

      It is issues, not parties

      by tiponeill on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 01:41:05 PM PDT

•  This is it

  On this 40th anniversary of the Tonkin Gulf incident it is appropriate to recall an affair that has much history wound around it, a watershed in the U.S. move toward full-scale war in Vietnam. At the time, in August 1964, the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson used the incident as a pretext to seek from Congress a joint resolution approving the use of force in Southeast Asia, which it then relied upon as legal justification for all-out war. The episode opened the way for an American military commitment that ultimately peaked in March 1969 with 548,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam plus additional supporting forces in Thailand. Some 59,000 Americans and several million Vietnamese died in the conflict

  http://www.gwu.edu/...

  http://www.gwu.edu/...
  http://www.gwu.edu/...

  by Class of 72 on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:45:54 AM PDT

  •  REPEAL the AUMF.

    Why has no one thought to repeal the AUMF?  You could replace it immediately with a very restrictive authorization that supports the troops and allocates funding for their redeployment.

    by maxschell on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:51:52 AM PDT

•  Similar thoughts inspired me to

  post this Diary, War Trials and Military Missions: Watada and Calley earlier.  It focuses on My Lai. Please forgive the pimp, but I think you might find it a pertinant read.

  Thanks for yours.

  by bigchin on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:47:19 AM PDT

  •  no problemo....

    i will check it out.

    by maxschell on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:52:10 AM PDT

  •  awesome.

    just checked it out and will recommend.  excellent. and much more rigorous and better put than my little diary.

    so, the question is: what do we do?

    it seems from your diary that we can only do one thing here and hope that it eventually catches on.  and watada is showing the way.

    by maxschell on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:57:33 AM PDT

    •  If people are watching and listening, yes.

      Thanks for your kind words and for checking out my essay.

      Peace.

      by bigchin on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 12:03:44 PM PDT

•  Kissinger gave Bush

  a copy of his 1969 memo

  http://www.gwu.edu/...  

  by Class of 72 on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 11:55:51 AM PDT

  •  Jesus.

    Vietnamization indeed.  They're running the identical FAILED strategy now that they tried 30 years ago.

    They are insane.

    by maxschell on Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 12:17:52 PM PDT