By Mike Hastie on Counter Punch:
“…By November 1967, 20,000 Americans have been killed in Vietnam. Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara is replaced by Clark Clifford. McNamara privately admits to President Johnson that he believes the war in Vietnam is unwinnable, and that is brought out in Episode 5.
Now, let’s go back to the Vietnam veteran who was in that ambush in 1969. He is the one who watched Episode 5. Let’s get this straight: President Johnson decides not to run for reelection in 1968, and President Nixon is elected. By the time Nixon leaves office in utter disgrace on August 9, 1974, over 58,000 Americans are killed in Vietnam.
That’s 38,000 more dead after Robert McNamara tells President Johnson that the war in Vietnam is unwinnable. When the war is over, 300,000 Americans are wounded, and more Vietnam veterans will commit suicide than were killed in Vietnam.
Can you imagine what is going through the head of that veteran who was ambushed in 1969 by the Viet Cong, and… by his own government? He went to Vietnam in a cattle car, riddled with bull shit. The Viet Cong tried to kill him, but they did not betray him like his immoral government. As Malcolm X once said: “To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal.”
Can you imagine what is going through the heads of every soldier who served in Vietnam after November 1967, when the war was over, and we stayed in that war under President Nixon to Save Face! Can you imagine what is going on with tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans who will be watching Episode 5?
The war had its own momentum. How do you stop a war that is making millions and millions of dollars for corporations across the United States? For me, W A R stands for, Wealthy Are Richer. When politicians and the rich start sending their kids to war, I’ll start believing in noble causes.”
Read the full article at:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/09/i-walked-pointless-in-vietnam/
Kalos Klarity 