Forty Years After Vietnam, a Reckoning

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/31/7988/

Forty Years After Vietnam, a Reckoning
by James Carroll


Anthropologists speak of “foundational” violence, acts that establish a broad milieu of destruction and discord. Forty years ago, America was in the grip of the foundational violence of its war against Vietnam, which, while killing thousands in Southeast Asia, was causing massive divisions in the United States, divisions that were increasingly violent. There was no separating that distant war from the broad social, political, and racial discord that made 1968 America’s annus terribilis. On this date in that year, the man most responsible made a valiant attempt both to turn away from violence and to reckon with his own role as its instigator.

In a televised address, President Lyndon B. Johnson surprised the world by announcing a major de-escalation of American hostilities, a cessation of almost all bombing of North Vietnam, coupled with a plea to Hanoi for negotiations aimed at a political settlement. Johnson effectively renounced the goal of military victory.Indeed, his speech marked the end of an escalation that, inside the Pentagon, included proposals for the use of nuclear weapons. What gave this startling announcement its gravity, however, was what followed.

“There is divisiveness among us all tonight. And holding the trust that is mine, as president of all the people, I cannot disregard the peril to the progress of the American people and the hope and the prospect of peace for all peoples . . .

“With our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes . . . Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president.”

snip//

But today, when the attitude of America’s leadership toward the foundational tragedy it has caused is summed up with Dick Cheney’s “So?”, it is important to remember, by contrast, another president’s act of authentic moral reckoning. What a difference! And why shouldn’t this nation’s soul be sorrowful?

[Turbineguy]

1. LBJ was no saint

but he runs circles around these clowns.

[hobbit709]

2. What most people forget is that more of our troops were killed

during the Nixon administration than under LBJ.

[I_Voter]

3. The most significant lesson?

The two replies just seem to me to confirm the limited power of the electorate to change much of anything. It wasn't elections but military disaster that got us out of Vietnam.

IMO: Although the pile of democratic nations has been growing, when the ability of U.S. voters to influence their government is considered, the U.S. voter is close to the bottom of that pile!

For this election, my understanding is that most polls indicate extremely limited support for the so called "war on terror" - however those same polls also indicate that economic interests are more important for most people. Look at one indication of what poverty can mean to a massive number of the U.S. population.

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RICH MAN POOR MAN: The Life Expectancy Gap

New research on Social Security-covered males indicates that the increase in longevity for older participants occurred mostly among those in the top half of the earnings distribution. ......

According to a new working paper by Hilary Waldron of the Social Security Administration, a male in the top half of the earnings distribution who turned 60 in 1972 could expect to live 1.2 years longer than one in the bottom half. By 2001, the gap had grown to 5.8 years.
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Now you may claim personally to also favor health care and economic justice, but that is not really possible under our political system. Remember our U.S. Senate requires a super majority that is really hard to achieve, not to mention something call Senatorial privilege. Nearly every single Democratic bill that is passed requires a trade with the Republicans. Evey single thing the Democrats want requires a trade-off. They have to decide what are the most important issues. Under our system the election doesn't usually matter all that much - at least not in the Senate.

I_Voter

Political Power in the U.S.
(And why you haven't got any.)

[struggle4progress]

4. Yet the very people who whine loudest about "values" cheer loudest for war

as if they had no idea about the real effects on everyone, victim and victor alike