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In the course of everyday life
when a major personal event is not discussed-that topic and what it
relates to, becomes infected and can easily become deadly to all involved
in the toxic silences that all too often surround the event.
In politics, the same applies,
but with far more devastating consequences-especially when that topic is a
lost or a misbegotten war.
When Kennedy-Johnson committed us
'quietly' to the Vietnam War, few noticed: it was initially after all,
only some American Advisors that were sent. That war lasted nearly as long
as the one we're still in today in Iraq. However, after the shame from the
Fall of Saigon, this nation didn't want to even think about that war again
for almost ten years. It played a distant part in politics for another
while, but there was never a national debate about the policies, the war
itself, or about the potentially crushing result, on this nation.
Officially we "moved-on" which translated means -
"forget-about-it: What are you Un-American or something!" This
refusal to look at reality became a shadow that followed US military
actions right up to the attack upon Saddam, over his actions in Kuwait
(the 1991 war).
But that war was quick and by our
standards "clean:" Reporters were not seen inside the war, as
they were in Vietnam - and it was over and done with in what the public
accepted as "a good way." The 1991 War was not what it
seemed-yet that was okay with most of us, because it didn't last and it
looked like a "victory." But the 1991 War never really stopped -
it just took wing. It was continued as the "no-fly zones" - the
top and bottom of Iraq were bombed 24-7, right up until almost the start
of the new Bush-War of 2003 (1991-2007).
From The Vietnam War until today:
neither this nation, nor the congress has ever held and open public
discussion about what we were doing there, what our policies were, what
our strategies consisted of-nothing was officially said except that we
were there to "Stop the Spread of International Communism."
In 1982 The Vietnam Veterans
Memorial was dedicated, on November the thirteenth, and apparently that
ended the matter for most Americans. Still: Because we allowed this to
happen-without ever having assigned either blame or praise upon those who
were involved: perhaps it was only natural that we have yet to have an
open and civilized discussion about the Iraq War? One thing is crystal
clear; we must change the name of the US Department of Defense to reflect
its true purpose: "The WAR Department."
The leaders of the War Department
and the congress, together with the White House have laid out a "Stay
the Course" attitude for this war that has never varied since the day
we launched this unilateral and illegal invasion of Iraq which they called
a "pre-emptive strike."
To determine policy going forward
the public needs to look at the kinds of judgments made in Vietnam,
through the eyes of those who now "command" our troops and the
money for these wars. These are the same people that will decide future
war policies and they will decide how America continues to spend its
money. If you find the following three paragraphs to be an accurate
assessment of what-really-happened-in Vietnam, then you are someone that
the Decider can believe in. If you find these words difficult to
accept-then you need to register some resistance to these people remaining
in office-for even one more hour.
"Last month, Bush told the
Veterans of Foreign Wars at its Kansas City convention that "one
unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal
was paid by millions of innocent citizens whose agonies would add to our
vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' 're-education camps' and 'killing
fields.' "
He added: "Here at home,
some can argue our withdrawal from Vietnam carried no price for American
credibility - but the terrorists see it differently."
Lest anyone think this was merely
a random rhetorical spasm, outgoing White House political czar Karl Rove
wrote an article in the conservative National Review last week that
included this passage: "If the outcome (in Iraq) is like what
happened in Vietnam after America abandoned our allies and the region
descended into chaos, violence and danger, history's judgment will be
harsh. History will see President Bush as right, and the opponents of his
policy as mistaken - as George McGovern was in his time."
The Article continues: "For
the record, the illegal U.S. bombing of Cambodia destabilized that country
and boosted the Khmer Rouge, who eventually took power and exterminated
those "millions" in the "killing fields." The
monstrous Khmer Rouge regime was finally ousted by ... none other than the
communists who took power in Vietnam after the American withdrawal. Oh,
and it was President Richard Nixon who negotiated and began the U.S.
pullout. President Gerald Ford presided over the fall of Saigon. Both of
them were Republicans, as I recall.
And George McGovern, who never
got to be president, was right.
Bush, Rove, Dick Cheney and the
other principal architects of the Iraq war never served in Vietnam - in
fact, they went to great lengths to put distance between themselves and
the military adventure they now describe as both necessary and noble. At
the moment, though, I'm less concerned about their hypocrisy than their
distortion of history.
To say the United States should
not have withdrawn its forces from Vietnam is to say that there was
something those forces could have done -something beyond napalm,
carpet-bombing, destroying villages in order to save them - that would
have led to some kind of "victory." Of course, Bush and the
others don't say what that special something might have been, because they
don't know. They're seeing nothing but a historical mirage.
Bush seems to want to return to a
golden age when America confidently threw its weight around wherever,
whenever and however it pleased. The problem is that no such golden age
existed. American power has always had its limits, and there have always
been some wars that simply couldn't be won." (1)
Throughout these last six years
Americans have never demanded any accountability from any of their
"leaders." We have behaved as children living in the house of a
deranged and alcoholic father that we dare not anger-no matter what he
does.
Both the Congress and the Courts
that are supposed to protect us from this madman and from his shrinking
crew of thugs-seems equally paralyzed by this behavior that ought to have
produced an immediate and many layered Impeachment-against the entire
leadership of this nation. Instead we see them shrink away: terrified that
they might risk some future political gain if they even raise their voice
above a whisper.
Real men and women will only die
once-the cowards that have taken our money and failed us a hundred times
over will die a thousand times: each little death - just a little worse
than the death before.
The reason there have been no
discussions is that their goals cannot be spoken of aloud: instead they
merely parrot that old phrase which is only half true: "National
Security!" The translation of their excuse is not pretty. It is not
"National" it's private or more specifically: It is "the
privatized interests of global corporations in service to private
bankers." And the only "Security" that's involved is the
protection of these crimes from the many different public's and the people
that they are targeted against-foremost among these are the people of the
United States.
The proof of that last sentence
is the coming North American Union that was begun in 1998, and is within
reach of finalizing its traitorous "union" between those global
private bankers and the corporations that they serve in order to undermine
what's left of nations everywhere.
"2004 was the year of the
Skull & Bones presidential candidates, and now 2008 seems to be the
year of the CFR presidential candidates. Democrat or Republican, it
matters not which rook they choose to elect. We lose either way. The 2004
elections were marred by the stench of a fixed fight. Bush and Kerry both
Yale Bonesmen and related by blood running for the presidency. Now the
Council on Foreign Relations has nearly every presidential candidate in
their pocket. We need to elect Ron Paul. Let's redeem America and restore
the Constitution. Ronald Reagan said, "It's Morning In America."
Now we are mourning America as she descends into tyranny." (2)
Since they've lied about
everything else-why not demand that they at least rename the Department of
Defense for what it really is: The U.S. WAR Department!
Jim Kirwan
NOTES:
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