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Vietnam Remains the Only War That America Can't Quit Fighting
The Omaha World-Herald ^
| May 10, 2004
| David M. Shribman
Posted on 05/10/2004 8:47:06 PM PDT by quidnunc
The baby boomers are gray and nearing retirement, the nation is involved in two conflicts abroad, the economy is moving into a new, uncertain phase, officials are worrying about terror strikes at home, there's a huge debate about civil liberties raging in the country, scientists are concerned about eroding American superiority in technology, and what are we doing in May 2004? We're fighting over Vietnam. Again.
The war ended almost three decades ago. Lyndon Johnson is dead. Richard Nixon, too. William C. Westmoreland is 90 years old, Eugene J. McCarthy is 88, Robert S. McNamara will be 88 next month, Jane Fonda is about to turn 67. The United States lifted its trade embargo with Vietnam a decade ago.
This is the war that never ends. We think it fades away, and then it comes back again. In pieces I've written over the years I've personally pronounced Vietnam over, politically and emotionally, twice first when the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in Gulf War I and then, again, when Washington established diplomatic relations with Hanoi in 1995 only to be proved wrong both times. So much for my powers of observation.
The war's not over. It may never be.
"We're just haunted by Vietnam," says Stanley Karnow, author of a popular history of the war. "It doesn't go away."
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at omaha.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: babyboomers; growupalready; vietnam
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1
posted on
05/10/2004 8:47:06 PM PDT
by
quidnunc
To: quidnunc
Vietnam Remains the Only War That America Can't Quit Fightingerrrrr....you mean DemocRATS don't you?
2
posted on
05/10/2004 8:51:42 PM PDT
by
Texas Eagle
(If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all)
To: quidnunc
"Part of this is healthy," says Thomas J. Vallely, a Marine in Vietnam who now directs the Vietnam Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government."The campaign aspect - whether Kerry will vote like Jane Fonda and whether the president skirted his duty - is almost beside the point. But the intellectual side - whether this war is like Vietnam - is helpful. It's actually useful to wonder about dominoes again. Pakistan is a potential domino. Iraq is a potential domino. And if you think the main lesson of Vietnam is hubris, we have to remember that hubris is dangerous. We also have to remember that we are again in a place that we don't understand."
Vallely is the guy who was arrested along with John's brother Cameron breaking into an opponent's campaign headquarters during John Kerry's first congressional run.
Bit of a conflict of interest, wouldn't you think?
3
posted on
05/10/2004 8:55:24 PM PDT
by
Interesting Times
(ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
To: quidnunc
There's a rumor floating about the 'net that suggests that John Kerry served in Viet Nam.
If true, I'd think that Kerry would want to use that as one of his many campaign themes.
To: quidnunc
5
posted on
05/10/2004 8:56:58 PM PDT
by
ALOHA RONNIE
(Vet-Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.LZXRAY.com)
To: quidnunc
No kidding. I can't wait til all of the Vietnam era people are DEAD! Note to Republicans and Democrats, Gen X doesn't CARE about Vietnam. That is 30 years ago. Give it up already. What Gen X cares about is not what you did 30 years ago for the nation, but what the next 30 years will bring us...
6
posted on
05/10/2004 9:01:42 PM PDT
by
xrp
To: hole_n_one
There's a rumor floating about the 'net that suggests that John Kerry served in Viet Nam. You mean in the military? Citation, please...
7
posted on
05/10/2004 9:04:42 PM PDT
by
Interesting Times
(ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
To: qam1; ItsOurTimeNow; PresbyRev; tortoise; Fraulein; StoneColdGOP; Clemenza; malakhi; m18436572; ...
Xer Ping Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social aspects that directly effects Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
8
posted on
05/10/2004 9:08:02 PM PDT
by
qam1
(Tommy Thompson is a Fat-tubby, Fascist)
To: xrp
I feel the same about you as you feel toward the Viet Nam era people.
Your parents can feel proud of you.
You make scum bags respectful.
9
posted on
05/10/2004 9:09:47 PM PDT
by
sport
To: Texas Eagle
Vietnam Remains the Only War That America Can't Quit FightingThe Civil War would seem to qualify as well.
10
posted on
05/10/2004 9:14:42 PM PDT
by
Doctor Stochastic
(Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
To: sport
Cry me a river.
11
posted on
05/10/2004 9:15:36 PM PDT
by
xrp
To: xrp
No kidding. I can't wait til all of the Vietnam era people are DEAD! Note to Republicans and Democrats, Gen X doesn't CARE about Vietnam. That is 30 years ago. Give it up already. What Gen X cares about is not what you did 30 years ago for the nation, but what the next 30 years will bring us...I've been on this forum a very long time and I'd be hard pressed to come up with a more despicable post than what you just spit out.
To: sport
You saved me the trouble....Thanks sport!
13
posted on
05/10/2004 9:17:33 PM PDT
by
TheLion
To: Texas Eagle
I always tell Democrats that it was their war, they managed it and should therefore be fully aware of how bad it was!
14
posted on
05/10/2004 9:20:42 PM PDT
by
TheLion
To: xrp
Would you jump in it and drown?
15
posted on
05/10/2004 9:25:34 PM PDT
by
sport
To: xrp
Hey xrp, pull up your baggy loaded pants, hook up some Nirvana on your MP3 player, hop on your sick skateboard and haul your ass down to the tattoo parlor to spend some more of that money you stole from your hated parents.
To: Admin Moderator
Save us a lot of time and trouble and remove xrp from FR.
Please.
To: sport
No, you?
18
posted on
05/10/2004 9:30:25 PM PDT
by
xrp
To: xrp
.....I can't wait til all of the Vietnam era people are DEAD! They don't come any more ignorant than you, do they?
To: quidnunc
Protestwarrior.com
If "Iraq" is Arabic for "Vietnam" then "Vietnam" is Lefty for "hippie mid-life crisis".
20
posted on
05/10/2004 9:40:53 PM PDT
by
qam1
(Tommy Thompson is a Fat-tubby, Fascist)
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