There is a different responsibility for those who are officials in government, rather than ordinary citizens. They have to consider the effects of their actions on our national interests in a way that someone posting on a thread, or even writing in a newspaper does not. Therefore, the way in which criticism is offered is crucial, and should not be so reckless as to undermine the position of the troops facing hostile action. I think that the candidates have by and large been irresponsible. A notable exception is Dick Gephardt, who is able to criticize without stridency and to support the basic policy while offering criticism.
The Vietcong were losing, which is why North Vietnam invaded during the Tet Offensive. The North lost all of the battles during that offensive. The Vietnamese did not win the war, we lost it, for various reasons. One reason, at least, was that the Communists counted on holding out long enough to turn public opinion against the war.
I was against the war in Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon, and the way in which the South Vietnamese opponents of Communism were treated, the re-education camps, the boat people, and so forth, I wondered if I were mistaken. I am still not sure if we should have been there, but I do know that we lost because we did not have the will to win, not because we couldn't. |
