Dear Editor:
Although you tried to submit an article replete with delicate and sensitive tones, the message didn’t quite ring true. I got the impression you’ve learned your history from watching the Fox channel and such. Without historical wisdom I find it impossible to say anything sensitive, let along objective.
After years of French effort to convert the people of Vietnam and seeing the hopelessness in their imperialistic imposition, packed up and absconded. The void was quickly exploited by the USA to try to build the equivalence of what I’ll call “an American Chinese wall” in an attempt to stem the spread of Communist influence. Combining it with a capitalistic access to Vietnam’s natural resources, it served both as a way to make money and a base for American military, away from home and quick access to China and especially Russia. For your information it was referred to as “the Cold War.” Of course, the French not only laughed at our egotism but stored it in their resentment bank as is now evident in their opposition to supporting Bush’s “forever war” plus their disdain for the American tourists, but not their money. Now!
The patriots you observed at the time of the WTC disaster should not be lumped up with those endowed with acute memory who now oppose this inane pre-emptive policy based on “our country right or wrong” stupidity. I’ll bet you did a little flag waving yourself which everyone who enters the theater in the middle of the picture is apt to, in the process of jumping to conclusions through ignorance of what preceded.
The people who should bear the brunt are those who chose the military because those were the only jobs they qualified for. When they obey orders without question they show their true colors. They become mercenaries paid to kill people. Any people. My sympathy goes to the naive who all their lives have been bombarded by corporate dominated media, TV and newspapers censored in the name of national security.
How convenient that Republicans keep hammering the point that Americans know best how to handle their personal affairs especially their money, but they can only handle the pleasant things when it comes to national security. Why don’t you inquire into how much is classified “secret” or not for public disclosure? Don’t we have enough brains when it comes to sending our family members to their possible death in the guise of patriotism, to be let in on sensitive materials. That’s where some of the truth lies.
To top it all this team as they refer themselves to, the ones whose cloth is not so clean, are the same gang that have and still failed to disclose the minutes of that “back room” energy policy that would shed some light on the real motivation behind this rush to capture Iraq. Oil! And that’s only one, if you’ve followed real history.
Angelo Nanfro P.S. I almost forget to mention that the rage and resentment at America, so ever increasing, is partly due to the many devils we’ve made bedfellows of and helped install that have turned out to become more despotic than the ones we helped depose. All in the name of patriotism of which Sadaam can be included. As our one time pal. I heartily resent being lumped up with those that are so eager to load their epaulets with brightly shined gold stars, weigh down their chests with every imaginable battle ribbon, meaningful or not, on unsoiled uniforms. As a World War II vet with some of those awards, I glory that I’ve never succumbed to blind patriotism.