Vietnam protestors right afterall
After all the cliched patriotic banter we hear from the kneejerk flag waving Right, about how protesting the war in Vietnam was wrong and how John Kerry was a liar, and how the left are traitors, we finally have the truth:
LaTimes - VIETNAM: THE WAR CRIMES FILES
This is a stunning indictment on how the U.S. Military conducts itself and more evidence of why Abu Graib is probably no isolated event. This is a pattern. We did it to the Native Americans, we did it in Vietnam, and we are doing it in Iraq. The U.S. Military has a problem screening people who like to do bad things when they are given a weapon or power over others. It's that simple. They didn't address it then and they only half-heartingly address it today. Generals will cite percentages and how they are low compared to troop numbers but similiar enemy percentages do not keep them from accessing some enemy activites as threats or from taking action against them. I'm not out to bash the U.S. Military - I want them to have a good image around the world. But we need a much tougher filtering process, guys. Frankly, I'm not at all surprised we have conduct issues overseas. In most military institutions we can't even get fellow recruits to treat their own fellow citizens respectfully. ( Hence the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy". If the typical American soldier didn't have a propensity for gay bashing, there would be no need to keep it hush).
One can only imagine what will be revealed 30 + years hence from the war in Iraq as the Right takes a similar stance against war protestors today. This is not about Left or Right or treason, however. Objecting to the way the United States wages war and conducts itself overseas has a legitimate function and, as we now see many years too late for the victims in Vietnam, a legitimate basis in reality.
LaTimes - VIETNAM: THE WAR CRIMES FILES
Abuses were not confined to a few rogue units, a Times review of the files found. They were uncovered in every Army division that operated in Vietnam.
This is a stunning indictment on how the U.S. Military conducts itself and more evidence of why Abu Graib is probably no isolated event. This is a pattern. We did it to the Native Americans, we did it in Vietnam, and we are doing it in Iraq. The U.S. Military has a problem screening people who like to do bad things when they are given a weapon or power over others. It's that simple. They didn't address it then and they only half-heartingly address it today. Generals will cite percentages and how they are low compared to troop numbers but similiar enemy percentages do not keep them from accessing some enemy activites as threats or from taking action against them. I'm not out to bash the U.S. Military - I want them to have a good image around the world. But we need a much tougher filtering process, guys. Frankly, I'm not at all surprised we have conduct issues overseas. In most military institutions we can't even get fellow recruits to treat their own fellow citizens respectfully. ( Hence the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy". If the typical American soldier didn't have a propensity for gay bashing, there would be no need to keep it hush).
One can only imagine what will be revealed 30 + years hence from the war in Iraq as the Right takes a similar stance against war protestors today. This is not about Left or Right or treason, however. Objecting to the way the United States wages war and conducts itself overseas has a legitimate function and, as we now see many years too late for the victims in Vietnam, a legitimate basis in reality.
posted by chillspike @ 7:43 AM
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