Getting Vietnam Right

The American Spectator ^ | Aug. 30, 2007 | Mark Moyar

[Interesting Times]

In the past week, the criticisms swirling around the President's VFW speech have provided much less insight into the President or the speech than into the critics. Rather than address the speech's central issue -- the 1975 debate over the ramifications of abandoning Vietnam -- these individuals have tried to push their own views on Iraq by mentioning other aspects of Vietnam. Emblematic of the attackers was Senator John Kerry, who said that the President's comparison of Vietnam with Iraq was "irresponsible" and "ignorant of the realities of both of those wars." Kerry explained that in Iraq, as in Vietnam, "more American soldiers are being sent to fight and die in a civil war we can't stop and an insurgency we can't bomb into submission." Senator Ted Kennedy, another opponent of both wars, backed this interpretation with the comment that the United States lost the Vietnam War because the South Vietnamese government "lacked sufficient legitimacy with its people."

Kerry and Kennedy missed key facts about Vietnam, some of them long obvious, others newly emerged from historical studies. The New York Times and NBC News and CNN and so on missed them, too, because they chose to rely on outdated historians or their own prejudices. The insurgency in Vietnam was dead by 1971, thanks to South Vietnam's armed forces, America's forces, and a South Vietnamese civilian population that overwhelmingly viewed the South Vietnamese government as legitimate. During 1972, after all American combat units had departed, South Vietnamese forces defeated a massive North Vietnamese invasion with the help of American air power. The so-called Christmas bombing of 1972 bombed North Vietnam into submission, resulting in a peace treaty. Had the antiwar Congress not slashed aid to South Vietnam and prohibited the use of American aircraft over Vietnamese skies...

[Interesting Times]

Mark Moyar, author of the Vietnam War history "Triumph Forsaken," has provided much of the scholarship behind the Bush Administration's new initiative to confront the mythical Vietnam of the Left, in which heroic antiwar protestors brought peace to Southeast Asia instead of unimaginable carnage.

[Interesting Times]

I’m back.

[angkor]

I don't think this is too far off-topic:

Click either image above.

"There were reeducation camps, and they weren't pretty and, you know, nobody likes that kind of outcome, but on the other hand I've met a lot of people today who were in those education camps, who are thriving in the Vietnam of today."
---- John Kerry, July 19, 2007, C-SPAN

Among his many, many flawed perceptions, John Kerry - known in the Vietnamese-American newspapers as "phan boi" (traitor) - must be completely oblivious of the many tens of thousands who died, were crippled by beatings, or became chronically ill in "reeducation camp."

* Grand Jury Prize - Amazonas International Film Festival, Brazil
* Winner, Best Feature Film - Anchorage International Film Festival
* Winner, Best Cinematography - Milano International Film Festival
* Winner, Long Nguyen, Best Actor - Newport Beach Film Festival
* Special Jury Prize - Newport Beach Film Festival
* Audience Award - San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
* Grand Jury Prize - San Diego Asian Film Festival
* Jury Award - Asian Film Festival of Dallas
* Winner, Ham Tran, Best Director - Asian Festival of First Film
* Winner, Lam Nguyen, Best Producer – Asian Festival of First Film
* Audience Award - Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
* Special Project Award - The Princess Grace Foundation, USA
* Best Feature Film – Boulder International Film Festival
* Outstanding Independent Film - 2007 AZN Excellence Awards

[Reagan Man]

Remove me from any and all of your ping lists.

Thanks

[Broker]

correct spelling: Viet Nam

[ConorMacNessa]

The traitor John Kerry ought to shut his mouth - he was instrumental in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in Vietnam.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Interesting Times]

Remove me from any and all of your ping lists.

Gladly.

[Interesting Times]

correct spelling: Viet Nam

I think I'm going to have to go with Dr. Moyar's spelling over yours. Were you able to extract anything else from his article?

[Interesting Times]

More recent articles on the president's new Vietnam truth initiative can be found here.

[Reagan Man]

So this is the way you make your return to FR. Just remember, I never requested at any time to be placed on your ping list(s) and never would.

[ClaireSolt]

The President may have had this author to the White House for a chat, as he did Mark Steyn and others.

[colorcountry]

Must see. Thanks for the links.

[Interesting Times]

So this is the way you make your return to FR. Just remember, I never requested at any time to be placed on your ping list(s) and never would.

By all means, continue whining. I can use the pings.

[Reagan Man]

Whatever. I’ll be seeing you around FR.

Just remember, keep me off your ping lists.

[Interesting Times]

The President may have had this author to the White House for a chat, as he did Mark Steyn and others.

I wouldn't be at all surprised. It's great to see this talented young historian cutting through decades of myth and disinformation.

[Interesting Times]

Ping.

[R. Scott]

The usual cast of despicable characters. Kerry, Kennedy ...

[Interesting Times]

I don't think this is too far off-topic:

Not off-topic at all. Thanks...

[onedoug]

You’re right, but the Vietnam anglicization makes it easier to discuss people and things Vietnamese.