Sinergy
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quote:
ORIGINAL: NorthernGent
People refuse to accept that the US government and their corporate allies are cold-blooded killers because it shatters the delusions of the US being the freedom country. Suddenly, the illusion of superiority (fed by the government) would be blown away in one fell swoop - along with the sense of personal stability and grounding afforded by these notions. Not exactly a unique theory, but you'll see I'm getting at personal insecurity acting as a barrier. Suddenly, you'd be on a par with the Communists, and indoctrination tells you that you're a cut above them.
I would have to disagree with this in a sense. It is not people who refuse to accept that, it is (by and large) American citizens. Not sure people worldwide think of the United States as the "Freedom country." People I know and have talked to in Canada and Europe tend to be dumbfounded at the ignorance of the American people about the actions of our government.
One aspect of the American self image is the idea that the United States trots in with our military and our wealth and saves the day. We became involved in World War 1, and according to us, we solved the problem. We became involved in World War 2, according to us, we won the war. We became involved in Korea, and according to us, we prevented World War 3 by partitioning the country. We stood up to the Red Menace and Reagan handily defeated them. It has been hundreds of years since the United States has faced a foreign enemy on our soil, and the verbal and written lessons from our founding seem to have gotten lost in the jingoistic flag waving during these conflicts.
Early on in the Vietnam War, the United States people were told repeatedly by our government that the Vietnamese wanted us there, it was a few malcontents who were arguing, etc. Reading the writings of the Vietnamese, a dramatically different picture emerges. Vietnam was a loss of the United State's innocence and sense of righteousness. Since then, it has been somewhat of a struggle to rebuild our own collective self-esteem as well as try to formulate relationships with the rest of the world.
With limited success. That saying "It takes months to build a relationship, and seconds to destroy one" comes to mind. Bush has done as much as one man can to destroy our relationships with anybody, but the problem does predate his election.
I suppose I will be shouted down for this, but I will say it anyway. None of the people involved in the decision to take us to war in Iraq were involved in Vietnam. More importantly, all of them drummed up a way to avoid being involved in Vietnam.
People sometimes ask me how we could have "won" the Vietnam War. My response is always the same. Exterminating the Vietnamese would have won the war. I then point out I am really happy the United States did not "win" the Vietnam war. I prefer to be an airy-fairy, granola-eating, tree-hugging peacenik, and to not have to spend my life washing the blood of other people off my hands.
Unfortunately, Monkeyboy has now made me an accessory to murder.
Sinergy
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RE: Invasion Strategy and Results - 
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