Vietnam Syndrome
It's very interesting that you should mention Vietnam, for I was just thinking about that this morning. I had an experience yesterday on Zeev's IHub board that reminded me of my early '60s experience. At that time, the TV news organizations were still in a mindset established by Edward R. Murrow of WWII London Blitz fame. Each network had a large contingent of foreign correspondents. These correspondents would return to the states during the year end holidays. The networks would use this opportunity to have a roundtable show featuring the views from the various locals around the world..
In either late December of 1961 or January of 1962 (I forget now which), I saw the CBS roundtable chaired by Howard K. Smith. Most of it was standard blah – blah.. But the S.E. Asia correspondent, Peter Kalisher, passionately spoken of what was already occurring in Vietnam and its future implications. His statements were pooh- poohed by the others. Particularly Eric Severeid, the then dean of the CBS commentators, who stated categorically that “The US would not be so foolish as to get involved in an Asian ground war”.
With the passion of youth, I pursued this matter. I had earlier studied WWII, and this had led me to study geopolitics. When I considered Vietnam in terms of geopolitics, the obvious leapt off the map. The country was shaped like a dumbbell – a bulge in the north with Hanoi, a bulge in the south with Saigon, and the two bulges connected with a narrow coastal strip. Geopolitically, there are two power centers. Moreover, history showed these two centers had warred for centuries. Only when a politically astute set of kings had established their capital in the narrow coastal strip had there been any peace. When the Europeans had first arrived in the area, the Portuguese and Dutch took opposite sides in the perpetual civil war. After a prolonged conflict, both of the Europeans left in disgust believing that the North and South Vietnamese would fight forever.
Given this background, in ’62, I railed against my countries increasing S. E. Asian involvement - long before there was a war. All of course to no avail. Not surprising was my later profound disagreement, with most anti-war activists. The only SDS meeting I ever attended almost ended in a fist fight over what IMO was their hypocrisy and deliberate deception.
From ’62, fast forward forty years to the present. Several weeks ago,I was watching C-SAN2’s weekend BookTV. There was Robert Spencer discussing his book about Islam. He was saying some very provocative things. My interest piqued, I purchased his book when next in Borders. Reading it was a very disquieting experience. What research I have been able to do subsequently, has verified his thesis. Islam is not just another Middle Eastern monotheistic religion. In a very fundamental way, it is incompatible with modern pluralistic societies. Sure all religions tend to believe “God is on our side” when war breaks out. But Islam embraces war and martyrs in a fundamental way that is totally foreign to western beliefs.
As I said, I attempted to express some of these ideas yesterday on IHub. Shades of Yogi, it was “Déjà vu all over again”. ’62 revisited. I’m suspended somewhere between “Huh?” and “You got to be kidding”. Again, I see the country I love headed full speed toward a precipice. Like ’62, not only is there nothing I can do, but any attempts are rebuffed or ignored.
I was struck by your idea of a long cycle in our perceived foreign policy "wisdom”. Once one has any understanding of the Islamic mindset, one realizes, as I stated yesterday, just how preposterous the idea of a MacArthur type occupation of Iraq really is. The hubris of the chicken hawks is matched only by their ignorance. They don’t seem to understand that Baghdad was the capital of the early caliphates. Occupied by unbelievers puts every muslim man from Marrakech to Malaysia under injunction from his God to decapitate the infidel invaders. It’s the revealed word of God – the Qur’an.
Bin Luddite wanted a war, and we’re handing him a victory. Complete idiocy. Your supposed to outsmart your enemies, not let them sucker you. I wonder how many realize why September the 11th? Not the 10th or the 12th but the 11th. Do they know that on September 11, 1683, the Turks were turned away from the gates of Vienna? And that marked the start of the decline of the last caliphate – the Ottoman Empire. I assure you Osama knows the date.
All of this is so obvious that one’s tempted to say “They can’t be serious. This is just all a big bluff. We really are trying to foment a revolution in Iraq and that’s all”. Well I hope so, but I remember having similar ideas about an Asian ground war in ’62. There was a reason why Severeid said it would never happen. I hope this time Washington isn’t being stupid, but betting on Washington intellect ….
All of this is happening at the start of a secular bear market – a prolonged period of economic weakness. A decade hence in 2012, the world will be very different. Many will say “if we only knew”. The handwriting is on the wall. The letters are bold. All one has to do is use their head. Few ever do.
Frustrated.
lurqer |
