Hanoi Jane says she's sorry for sitting on NVA AA gun during Vietnam war

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Joseph
She is not worth going to jail over.

So you'd do it if you could get away with it?

[Dis]

I certainly would not wait in line 90 minutes just to spit on her.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by General Ludd


So you'd do it if you could get away with it?

No, out of respect for myself.

[Riesstiu IV]

Reading through this thread is somewhat disturbing to say the least.

What's up with this sudden resurgence in Vietnam revisionism and trying to justify a war long over? It was a huge blundering mistake to get involved yet there still seems to be a portion of the American population who view that EVERY single war/conflict America is involved in is always justified.

[Dis]

we couldn't let communism expand unchecked.

while I don't entirely agree with that philosophy, I can understand the reasoning.

[Riesstiu IV]

I for one can't understand the reasoning.

Why should we have bothered helping keep commujism from spreading around the world? Who cares? As long as it doesn’t affect the US it’s not a problem. I don’t give a toss if some little pissant nation suffers a revolution or uprising. Why do people feel the need to get involved in all of these 3rd world crap holes and try and help spread democracy or some other noble bullcrap? It’s not worth the time, energy, and cost of human lives. Let the world sort itself out.

[Dis]

so take it you don't care about the millions of africans killed in Rwanda in the 90's? They can sort their own problems out.

[Riesstiu IV]

Not really. Perhaps if I knew and Rwandans personally or had family over there I would but I don't.

This kind of stuff has been happening for centuries, its human nature. Just let it ride itself out, maybe they'll learn from their mistakes.

Edit: Also, wouldn't it be unfair to help Rwanda and say... not Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc. We could never help everybody who needed and as soon as we leave a region the same old ethnic/religious tensions would rise again. It’s pointless. These nations must learn from their own mistakes and improve themselves.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
I for one can't understand the reasoning.

Why should we have bothered helping keep commujism from spreading around the world? Who cares?

The United States, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, The United Kingdom, Sweden, Thailand, Austrailia, Canada, The Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, West Germany, Taiwan, Italy, Turkey, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Greece, India, Belgium...

A lot of people in those places and a few more cared about the spread of communism. It was the thing to do. Call it a fad if you wish.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Not really. Perhaps if I knew and Rwandans personally or had family over there I would but I don't.

This kind of stuff has been happening for centuries, its human nature. Just let it ride itself out, maybe they'll learn from their mistakes.

Edit: Also, wouldn't it be unfair to help Rwanda and say... not Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc. We could never help everybody who needed and as soon as we leave a region the same old ethnic/religious tensions would rise again. It’s pointless. These nations must learn from their own mistakes and improve themselves.

The argument Ike and Kennedy made was that we had to stop a communism in Vietnam because the other nations in the area would fall like dominoes. The argument that Jane Fonda and others made was that the domino theory was nonsense because Ho Chi Minh, while being a communist, was primarily a nationalist and had only interest in "liberating" Vietnam from foreign influence and in reuniting the country.

In the final analysis, I think the Jane Fondas of the world may have the better argument about Ho Chi Minh; but I still would have given South Vietnam all the financial and military aid is needed to fend off the Communists themselves. I would not have committed US troops. But this is pure hindsight, because at the time everybody in power believed in the domino theory.

[SpencerH]

At least she's admitted her mistake, which is more than Kerry has done.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Everyone likes to forget, we were the badguys in that war. Jane was one of the good guys! Too bad she's lost the courage of her previous convictions.

There were no good guys. Three countries playing geopolitics, a few pseudocountries with psychotic commie murdering thugs or corrupt despotic murdering thugs fighting it out for power, some minor countries who were lackeys of the three biggies, and a ****load of peasants on all sides of the various borders who just wished the whole thing would go away, along with all the so-called leaders.

[Ned]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


There were no good guys. Three countries playing geopolitics, a few pseudocountries with psychotic commie murdering thugs or corrupt despotic murdering thugs fighting it out for power, some minor countries who were lackeys of the three biggies, and a ****load of peasants on all sides of the various borders who just wished the whole thing would go away, along with all the so-called leaders.

All true. But again, this is hindsight.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Barinthus
Really, chegitz? Perhaps if Bush Sr let the military do their job, we wouldn't had that Iraq invasion in the first place since Saddam would have been already took care of back then.

That's the opposite, the Pentagon DOESN'T want to be occupying and annexing countries. It just doesn't fit their doctrine.

[Pax]

Originally posted by notyoueither


The United States, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, The United Kingdom, Sweden, Thailand, Austrailia, Canada, The Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, West Germany, Taiwan, Italy, Turkey, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Greece, India, Belgium...

A lot of people in those places and a few more cared about the spread of communism. It was the thing to do. Call it a fad if you wish.

I personally think the rise, spread, start of communism/socialism is mainly due to the basics of Capitalism that don't give a **** about the common man. If Capitalism was left unchecked, the common man in the so-called free countries would be worse off. So you can thank the cold war for your high standard of living. Furthermore, if Capitalism was as superior as advertised you would not have so many FORMER colonies and subjugated countries/peoples would not have switched to it. They did not switch to it from a desire to be EVIL. It was because Capitalism's major flaw and selling point is that it's benefits the owners and rich and screws the workers and consumers as much as possible.