In the late 1920's and throughout the 1930's, the official position of Hitler and Germany's Nazi party was that Germany lost the First World War because of "treasonous Jews". If not for those "treasonous Jews", Germany would have won the war and attained the heights of geopolitical dominance Germany and Germans deserved, went the train of thought. It cannot be that the world banded together to oppose German aggression and the combined weight of the world's armed forces were too much for Germany and her allies. It had to be the Jews. Of course, the strategy was evil genius. It allowed German nationalism to rise to a fevered pitch ultimately benefiting the Nazis who engineered the propaganda to begin with and it gave the people of Germany a convenient scapegoat for their economic and geopolitical problems.
Conservatives believe the same thing with Vietnam but instead of Jews, it is Liberals, Democrats and the media they blame for the loss. On any conservative website or Blog when the topic of Vietnam comes up, a litany of posts follow with the theme, 'If only those traitorous Democrats and the Liberal media would have let the military "do what they needed to do" we would have won'. My favorite Conservative Blog with which to illustrate the mindset of Conservatives, Free Republic, has a plethora of threads that drive home the point, here are a few with some of the many choice quotes therein:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1763386/posts "Never forget that in the last days of Vietnam hillary clinton was right in there, helping with the nailing, while her husband-to-be was over in London dodging the draft, organizing peace marches, and betraying his country. And John F'n Kerry was in Paris, helping to advice the North Vietnamese how to win the struggle."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1757690/posts "In these later years the press simply missed the war. Maybe it wasn't exciting enough. But it was what the American soldier had done for South Vietnam; hamlets in which the population remained secure, refugees able to return to their villages, distribution of land to the peasantry, miracle rice harvests, roads kept open for farm-to-market traffic, the election and training of village governments. Some of what the press did see in Vietnam never got to the public back home ". They didn't want the American people to know the war was being won. Nor did the anti-war forces.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1732618/posts I will never forget the rage and overwhelming shame and sadness I felt as the last helicopter left Vietnam, after the liberal Democrats in Congress pulled the plug on our troops and turned an unbroken series of military victories into an inglorious defeat. They covered their dishonoring of 58,239 killed in action and 128,000 wounded in action by enlisting Walter Kronkite to help them spread the lie that American-South Vietnamese forces had lost the Tet offensive. Everyone now knows that the American Army won every engagement including Tet. Recent interviews with former North Vietnamese generals also confirm that a favorable peace treaty was at hand. ----------------------------------------------
The consequences of this belief system are that Bush cannot appear to countenance withdrawal without some achievement of victory. He can only seem to 'give in' to withdrawal demands after fighting the Democratic congress tooth and nail so that the conservative base can go on thinking about Iraq as it has fantasized about Vietnam, "Winnable, except for the Liberals."
If Bush were to prevail in the public debate and be allowed to execute his 'Surge' policy, it would allow him to spend the remainder of his term continuing to assert that victory is just around the corner, we just need to give the newly augmented troops a chance to achieve it. Of course, this would leave his successor with the unenviable task of admitting defeat and bringing home the troops.
Bush, or any other Republican who would withdraw in a situation as we have now in Iraq would deal a serious blow to the illusion conservatives like to maintain for themselves regarding such wars. The consequences of harming or destroying that illusion would be significant erosion in the support for the Republican Party among the farthest right of its base. It would not cause them to vote Democratic by any means, but it would cause some of them either not to vote or to vote for a third party. Bush is willing to do just about anything to maintain support of this group for him and for future GOP leaders. That is what the surge is about.
Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.
Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of the 500+ liberal pundits who, each month, are published in what has become one of the top five Liberal/progressive media sites in the US.
In the Y2000 the Supreme Court bought by Bush bypassed the Law. We were told it was for the good. It was a lie and we explained it to ourselves that it was a lie for good
In the Y2001 there was a terrorist act and 3000 people died. We were told that our President was a great man to rally around. We were told that Islamists were responsible. We were told that we had a war. It was a lie and we explained in to ourselves that it was a good lie again, for the good cause.
In the Y2001 we attacked the small country of Afghanistan but the war is still there. It was a lie to do it and it is a lie now to do what we do but we explained then and we explain now that it is a good lie. A lie for peace.
In the Y2003 we attacked Iraq and since then we killed nearly 600000 people there. We kill for peace. It was a lie and it is a lie and it needs such an enormous explanation that nobody does anything now but lying. Lying for life.
In the Y2007 after 6 years of lies we explain in advance the lies of the leadership so that when he opens his trashcan-of- mouth we already know what to tell ourselves: He lies for the truth.
Many years ago Russian poet Naum Korzhavin said,'Lie cannot lead to the truth.' Maybe we should carve that verse on the Capitol Building?
by
Mark Sashine (54 articles, 19 quicklinks, 252 diaries, 3605 comments)
on Monday, January 8, 2007 at 2:44:01 PM
I believe we have ourselves to blame - sure we can point to Bush and his exploiting 9-11 to go after "terrorists" anywhere and everywhere, then pulling the switcheroo in Iraq. But we knew beforehand he wanted to go into Iraq. We know he and his dad were big oil guys, tied into the Saudis and the Carlysle group.
Sure we protested in the streets all over the world, but it wasn't a majority - too many people were too complacent. The lobbies representing the defense industry had bought all the support they needed in Congress and the media was similarly onboard, an unprecedented, chilling silence showing a grave problem. Again, the people registering complaints with media were there but not in enough force.
Polls show the people have finally come around, including the troops. It took a while for the positive evidence of Iraq intel-fudging to ooze out, especially while the BushCo spin machine busily backpedaled and damage-controlled every item. Today it's different though. We are at a pivotal point RIGHT NOW as the new Congress punches in for work.
Though he has less support then ever, Bush has passed on the opportunity to be a part of a turnaround. Stubbornly refusing to admit he was wrong and give any ground, he advocates sending thousands to their deaths overnight in midnight door-to-door urban raids, fantasizing this will suddenly turn the tide in Iraq where they already resent our presence. Bush is also quietly trying to push through snail mail and internet surveillance initiatives that only underscore his blatant and thirst for power - and his Nixon like paranoia.
The American people need to keep the pressure up right now, to signal to Congress that we are actively watching and expecting reform, to tell the media we are aware of their complicity and it is a new day. But most importantly, we need to show the world that we are not behind the policies that has cause us to be so hated. Do call, write, march and boycott to show that we are no longer gullible or asleep, before the horse trading in Washington starts and the compromises lessen the effectiveness of this anti-corruption revolution.
by
Gustav Wynn (67 articles, 44 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 309 comments)
on Monday, January 8, 2007 at 5:36:13 PM
No I disagree, I felt what is going on currently in Iraq was inevitable to began with if Bush attacked Iraq.
See here is the real problem, is that to many Americans forgot what transpired in the Vietnam Nam war era.
Bush had promised them this war wouldn't last long and we would not be an occupation in Iraq.
Then another hand full of Americans wished we would just completely bomb all the Arab country's and be done once and for all.
Sadly most of them had been around during the Vietnam days and just can't except they had fell for Bush's deceit and the United States once again is bogged down in another quagmire war in Iraq.
Then there are other that are like sheep, for instance my sister and brother that go to the same church.
There minister preaches of the evil that exists in Iraq must be stopped and Bush was all that's great. But they were unaware his beliefs come down the pipe from other religious leaders that backed Bush's Administration and were supporting his nomination into being a President. Trust that there is no sense in arguing with any of those nut cases including my brother and sister, end result they'll say your going to hell for your beliefs for trying to set them straight.
All I can say is just that, if I go to hell, its by my own beliefs.
My answer to them was,I can live with that, but how are they going to fill when they realize they were deceived by there minister.
Then others done it because they grew up in patriotic life style.
But if all those people were told the whole truth from the start they wouldn't of supported G.W.(Satan)Bush.
So, please do blame Bush for total responsible, it should always rest on his shoulders for the burden.
by
Fred F (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 361 comments)
on Monday, January 8, 2007 at 6:32:08 PM
Excuse me, but the president never, no not EVER, said that the War on Terror, or the war in Iraq would be easy or short. He ALWAYS said that it would be long and difficult. ALWAYS.
by
Adam Frank (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 35 comments)
on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 at 4:48:47 PM
This Rethuglican Administration (through one of its cabinet members, speaking on behalf of the POTUS in EVERYTHING they ever say) claimed that this war "“It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.”
If this was NOT the prediction of the President and his entire Rethuglican Administration, then the speaker of those words should have been admonished or fired the day after speaking them. He wasn't. He was praised and supported.
So, Adam, why don't you stop LYING, just because your Rethuglican friends seem to be so good at it.
Oh, and let's not go into how much the war was going to COST the American Taxpayer, or we can go to TESTIMONY BEFORE CONGRESS BEFORE THE WAR that it would be "self financing" or "at most cost 60 or 70 Million." Now, let's see. We were only off by a factor of 30,000 times more than anticipated? Gee, that's not bad. I guess when my contractor tells me that the remodel is only going to cost me $10, I shouldn't be too disappointed that it cost me $330,000. Gee, I really like how Rethuglicans think.
You are an IDIOT.
by
Charlie L (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 720 comments)
on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:41:09 PM
The ongoing demonization of liberals continues -- just listen to Rush Limbaugh or Michael Savage any day on your am radio (you can't miss them) -- and this piece is right to compare it to the demonization of Jews in post WW I Germany. Defeat in Iraq would be defeat of the US empire, perhaps a fatal defeat, and liberals would be blamed. This is at the root of the cautiousness and fear exhibited by the Dems today. What Dems need to do is come up with an alternative to empire, a vision of a 'little America' content to live within its borders, with a small, defensive military, and persuasively explain this to the American public. Conservatives will say we can't just let the rest of the world go, that other powers will arise to dominate the world and eventually us as well. In fact, we can let the world go, taking up a defensive military posture. Does anyone really believe that Islamacists are going to show up as guerilla fighters in their neighborhood? Or that the Chinese will invade? But if we want to protect ourselves further, we should build up defensive alliances with other democratic states, and seriously work to democratize the UN. Perhaps more seriously, major financial interests controlling the US economy have gone global, and cannot now envision operating outside the US without the US military umbrella. A non-imperialist America would have to have a domestically not internationally based economy. It may be too late for this, but it seems essential if we're to get out of the trap we're in. The peak oil challenge and global warming point in the same direction: that we need to downsize and get our own house in order. In fact, the global economic and military system seems increasingly unsustainable, and eventually we may be forced to downsize drastically. The Dems -- except Al Gore, in part -- have failed to address these issues, leaving them open to blame for 'failure.'
by
Kuzminski (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 75 comments)
on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 7:44:22 AM
6 comments
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