BOOK REVIEW

What Vietnam Teaches Us

A new look at the brilliant yet flawed McGeorge Bundy illuminates mistakes we're still making today.

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  • Posted By: personnelente @ 07/06/2009 8:19:59 PM

    Why do you still listen to this discredited bozo?

  • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 11/01/2008 5:21:33 PM

    WELL SAID BILL COSBY !!

    'They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English.
    I can't even talk the way these people talk:
    Why you ain't,
    Where you is,
    What he drive,
    Where he stay,
    Where he work,
    Who you be...

    And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk.

    And then I heard the father talk.

    Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads.
    You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth.

    In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living.

    People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an Education, and now
    We've got these knuckleheads walking around.

    The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal.

    These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids.

    $500 sneakers for what?

    And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.

    I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit.

    Where were you when he was 2?

    Where were you when he was 12?

    Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol?

    And where is the father? Or who is his father?

    People putting their clothes on backward:
    Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong?

    People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something?

    Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body?

    What part of Africa did this come from??

    We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa ...

    I say this all of the time. It would be like white people saying they are European-American. That is totally stupid.

    I was born here, and so were my parents and grand parents and, very likely my great grandparents. I don't have any connection to Africa, no more than white Americans have to Germany , Scotland , England , Ireland , or the Netherlands . The same applies to 99 percent of all the black Americans as regards to Africa . So stop, already! ! !

    With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap .....And all of them are in jail.

    Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.

    We have got to take the neighborhood back.

    People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now.

    We have millionaire football players who cannot read.

    We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We, as black folks have to do a better job.

    Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us.

    We have to start holding each other to a higher standard.

    " We cannot blame the white people any longer."
    Dr. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.

  • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 10/30/2008 12:40:44 PM

    Well..it???s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Barack Hussein Obama can't be trusted with the economy.

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Barack Hussein Obama is naive with foreign policy.

    Well..it???s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim.

    Well..it???s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Barack Hussein Obama doesn't live in "Mr. Rogers"
    neighbourhood.

    Well..it???s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Barack Hussein Obama bought the media networks.

    Well..it???s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that African Americans are voting for Obama only because he's Black.

    Well..it???s proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama cannot pay for his 1,000 promises without raising everybody's taxes!

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama has ACORN trying to steal the election for him!

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama is no Martin Luther King.

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama believes in Marxism.

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama says a lot but says nothing!

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama is sympathetic with terrorists!

    Well..its proven beyond a reasonable doubt Barack Hussein Obama only spoke the truth with "Joe The Plumber???

    On Tuesday...Nov 4....I'm getting my popcorn ready and watch how many dumb Americans vote Obama.

    • Posted By: Marcus CA @ 10/30/2008 9:26:51 PM

      As usual, there is no way to respond to this series of statements, because each one would require a paragraph to refute, and I don't have that kind of time. So, I'll do the quick one.

      I question the reasonable of all your doubts because, as most Americans could tell you, the Democratic candidates in our last two presidential elections received about 90% of the African-American votes, even though they were white. So, I could more accurately say that it's proven beyond a reasonable doubt that African Americans are voting for Obama only because he's a Democrat.

      • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 11/01/2008 2:19:18 PM

        99 percent of African American registered Democrats in Mississippi voted for Barack Obama and not
        Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries...case closed ..nuff said ...blacks are voting for Barack
        only because he's black too ...and thats what is so detrimental to the problem in the US politics today
        and it will greatly impact the rest of the free world. I also predict the next candidate to emerge from the
        Democratic party down the road will be a Latino...why? ... because there will be a lot of Latinos and they want the power just like the African Americans want now...no matter the cost ...no matter the consequences ...they have a blind ambition to get one of their race in the White House...thank you Oprah!!

  • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 11/01/2008 2:02:15 PM

    Two central issues in the election Barack Obama is wrong and misleading:

    1) No tax increases to those earning $250,000 or less promised by Obama, then he
    lowered this figure to $200,000, then the "Gift that keeps on Giving" Joe Biden says
    the number is $150,000 and just yesterday Gov. Bill Richardson says the figure is
    $120,000 ...and now a videotape is disclosed where it shows Obama recently stated
    that in the interest of fairness with taxes is around $80,000.00!!
    Sounds like good old fashion Democratic ???reverse auction ???tax policy they implement
    after they break their campaign promise to the American people.

    2) On national security ...Obama???s own VP running mate Joe Biden ... ???mark my words,
    this guy Obama is going to be tested by a generated international crisis within 6
    months of his Presidency..I guarantee it??? Obama will meet with USA's enemies with
    no pre-conditions!
    John McCain???s surge strategy in Iraq is working and its saving the lives of young
    American men and women in uniform serving there...Obama won't admit to this day
    the surge is working and he voted to cut funding for these military forces !!

    John McCain is Commander-In-Chief material ....Obama is just a cardboard "cut-out"
    candidate of the DNC.

  • Posted By: HenryAJackson3 @ 10/31/2008 4:52:40 PM

    Dr. Kissinger says "the last Americans left Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) by helicopter from the roof of our embassy." As with so many issues concerning the War in Vietnam, he go that wrong. Go to:http://www.mishalov.com/Vietnam_finalescape.html to read the account of the photographer who took the picture, HUBERT VAN ES. The helicopter was actually on the roof of an apartment building in downtown Saigon

  • Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 10/29/2008 8:50:41 PM

    What's Wrong With "W"? --- George W. Bush's Political Troubles. Part 3.

    by: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet Of Environment.

    (10) Serious battles are raging between corporate executives and stockholders. Greed plays an important role in the downfall of the Bush administration. There are plenty of corruption in the Federal, state, and local government. Even civilian and military personnel aboard are corrupt. The two major political parties are too busy choking each other's throats than to care about corruptions and government inefficiency. Racial tension will prevent both side from criticizing each other especially on racial sensitive matters in the workplace and society. Political correctness forbids anyone from commenting on anything. (11) Lack of cooperation from the media. American media are extremely bias. Bush's strong arm policy and his challenging of the press have worsen the situation and washed away media supports. The situations were especially serious when many of Bush's policy are implemented without good reasons and full of loopholes. His confrontation with the media brought about his final demise. (12) I don't think John McCain should be penalized by mistakes made by his predecessors. George W. Bush is a spoiled heir to a well-to-do family while McCain is a well polished, fully trained, disciplined, tough and no nonsense soldier and politician. They are simply men of totally different breed. McCain will certainly perform better and have more motivation to achieve his objectives. McCain will challenge America's highly bias media, reuniting Congress and stamping out corruptions in government and corporations. (13) During this Halloween Season, election and other important matters especially those of competition in nature will undoubtedly control or release by my supernatural and spiritual forces. Anything can happen now with little or no predictions and protection to anyone. More than likely some Scarecrows who hidden behind the Bush will suddenly jump out to scare you or haunt us. So expect the unexpected! Additional branches on Bush should continue to grow or fall here during this highly catastrophic Fall Season and beyond, or you may want to add or subtract some of his failure. May the Environment and Great Spirit of Halloween prevail and bring about my success! QED.

  • Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 10/29/2008 8:48:06 PM

    What's Wrong With "W"? --- George W. Bush's Political Troubles And Its Realtion To Vietnam. Part 2.

    by: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet Of Environment.

    (7) Also since the Civil War, the U. S. has been trying to destabilize the world. First they attacked Britain, Spain and then China during the Eight Nations Invasion (Boxer Rebellion) of the Qing Dynasty. After that, the U. S. had exported their rebellious ideology to countries such as Serbia to initiate and then participate in World War I. The U. S. also supported the British to start WWII. In addition, the U. S. has continuously staging revolutions, coups, protests and demonstrations using freedom, liberty, human rights and racial independence as excuses. Finally such U. S. strategy came back to haunt Bush and his efforts in the Middle East. The expansions have all failed due to human rights violation issues. Same situations also caused the American failure in Vietnam. (8) In addition to unity problems, the American economy have collapsed since the Great Depression of late 1920-30. The only reason they are still surviving is to use the method of "robbing Peter to pay Paul." To achieve such goal, the U. S. resort to massively wasting our world's natural resources on unnecessary and redundant projects. In many cases, Americans will simply throw away perfectly functional items so that they can manufacture new ones to stimulate industry. There were also welfare and research programs which have little or no clients. Their government also encourage fraud in those programs, in addition to forcing and harassing other countries into supporting American wasteful policies. (9) Failure of education programs. No matter how hard the American government has tried, their education programs failed. Americans are simply not in the mood to study. More than half of the school children never even bring their books home. Others are too busy participating in extracurrricular activities in sports and social events. At home, students are often too busy arguing, dating, watching movies/TV, playing music, video games, chatting on the phones and Internet. Most children were seriously affected by their financial and family problems to pay any attentions to study. Little or no one were interested in studying or other activities which could improve their employment qualification. Rich families will send their children to private schools. Most companies already have plenty of well trained high level workers and have no need to support education. In fact they need more lower level labors to fill routine jobs. The United States have no choice but to bring in immigrants or outsourcing to India to fill the gaps. This also resulted in income and export shortfall. The failure to overturn affirmative action at the Supreme Court has damage the quality of education further. (Continue to Part 3)

  • Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 10/29/2008 8:44:55 PM

    What's Wrong With "W"? --- George W. Bush's Political Troubles And Its Relation To Vietnam. Part 1.
    by Jordan C. Fan, Prophet Of Environment.

    This title are words all started with "W." If you have seen the movie "W" you certainly will know what "W" represent -- George W. Bush. The following are my observations about "What's Wrong With W.": (1) George W. Bush's first mistake was to hire all Blacks for his foreign relation departments. To start his administration, Bush used Colin Powell as Secretary of State and Condi Rice as Foreign Policy Advisor. After firing Powell, Bush still insisted on using a Black woman - Rice as Secretary of State. Together, Powell and Rice have initiated numerous foreign policies which made the U. S. failed on all fronts. Quite obviously, they are all spying for Democrats especially when Powell is currently endorsing Obama. (2) Since the Secretary of State also control U. S. embassies aboard, they can make it much easier for Africans to immigrate to the U. S. whereby increasing the population of voters who will vote against the Republican Party. (3) Bush and Chaney were to too greedy in thinking Iraqi oil can bring them great fortune. Saddam Hussein had problems making money from his oil reserve during peace time. How can Bush and Chaney get profit from oil during a war? (4) Even before Bush took office, the United States was already in a recession. The U. S. government was simply presenting fictitious economic figures to recover up their financial troubles. They also try to improve the economy by increasing military spending. Increase military and related civilian employment will also improve employment statistic. (5) Ever since the Civil War, the United States were never "United." All the Americans could do is to tried to escape from their troubles by expanding westward based on their "Manifest Destiny" ideology. When they had reached the Pacific, Americans started to invade countries such as Hawaii, Philippines and Japan to start World War II. Until finally they reached China and its Korean ally, and were being stopped right at its track. (6) China is simply too vast and Chinese are too strong and intelligent for the American to defeat. So are the Vietnamese. The U. S. was defeated in Asia. There were little or no more colonies for the U. S. to fulfil its 'Manifest Destiny." Therefore the U.S. will have to disintegrate. George W. Bush has aggressively extended his destiny too far which have crossed over into other people's destiny. He had unwisely claimed the domains of Russian, French and British territory as his own which caused his failure in Iraq.
    (continue to Part 2)

  • Posted By: kogiks @ 10/29/2008 12:22:02 PM

    Visiting Vietnam before his death, Robert McNamara was asked by a Vietnamese if he ever read history. Otherwise, he should have known that the Vietnamese has been fighting Chinese expansionism for a thousand years and would never be its cold war puppet. If American policy makers talked with Ho Chi Minh, without precondition, when he came to the US to plead his case against French occupation, the Vietnam war would never have happened. Kissinger clearly missed this point so does John McCain. So much for experience. Gico Dayanghirang, Philippines














    war would have never happened.








    war could have been avoided. Instead, deluded by their narrow cold war interpretation of events in Vietnam, American policy








  • Posted By: ICYEYES800 @ 10/26/2008 7:01:15 PM

    What we learned in VIETNAM is to never allow our guys to come home defeated!!!!!! That war could have and should have been won in a month, but D.C. was calling the shots and not allowing the leaders in the field to make the calls....that is why Osama should not be elected...he also wants to cut and run from Iraq, leaving the USA open to have 9/11 repeated.....We also learned that people like Ayers and Fonda have no worth to the community of PATRIOTS...in fact both should be FORCED to LEAVE this awesome country, where young men and women are willing to VOLUNTEER to serve this nation in a time of war.....we learned to honor those young men and women and to support them in their efforts in the war on TERRORIST throughout the world...Those guys coming home from Vietnam were spat upon and taunted for their service....what a terrible point in history....Now, we tell our young people that we are extremely proud of them, we shake their hand and slaute their willingness to step up to the plate when a GRATEFUL NATION CALLS...................sounds kinda like JOHN MCCAIN................now, that's patriotism......................... McCain/Palin '08

    • Posted By: Marcus CA @ 10/28/2008 10:51:25 PM

      At what point could that war have been won in a month? Remember that China had made it clear that if we used the full force of our military (e.g., nuking Hanoi), they would have entered the war with far more than just supplies and advisers.

  • Posted By: Marcus CA @ 10/28/2008 10:47:00 PM

    When Dr. Kissinger writes, "The dividing line in Vietnam was technically a demilitarized zone never accepted as an international frontier by Hanoi, which was attempting to undermine governmental institutions by guerrilla warfare," he leaves out a crucial bit of information. That dividing line did not exist before the mid-1950's, when the US aborted the election that would have made Ho Chi Minh the first freely elected president in the world. South Vietnam was basically the Vietnamese version of our Confederacy, and the Communist North was trying to get it back, just as our Union tried to get back our Southern states ninety years earlier.

  • Posted By: rube @ 10/28/2008 2:20:55 PM

    Someone pass this book on to John McCain- hes still fighting the Vietnam War.
    He didnt learn a thing from that war other than to follow his own ego-centric macho
    warrior menatality!

    He still doesnt know , you fight when dlplomacy is totally used up,
    and you fight the fight that the entire nation knows to be righteous! No duplicity or subversion John!
    This is why John is not going to be president nor he deserves to be! He is a reactionary- a neocon!

  • Posted By: 40YearR @ 10/28/2008 1:23:46 PM

    Er, ah "Nowforthetruth": In an earlier posting your exposition is that Palin is not a Socialist since she took money from the oil companies and redistributed it to Alaska citizens... It's not Socialism because "Alaska has no State taxes... It is not taking money from one person and giving it to another person."

    So where did the oil companies get that money?

    But I should fear Obama as a "Redistributor" and a "Socialist" because he wants to roll back a tax break for the rich that (before he sold out to the right wing) McC opposed and called 'irresponsible" because it benefitted "only the rich"?

    Is your most recent reposting here directed to fears about "Socialism", or is it just innuendo, or are we trying to fold in a little racism too?

    I've got an idea, since we have no more ideas, let's run our campaign on fear, smears and hypocrisy.

    Yeah, that's the ticket!

  • Posted By: C. MacLean @ 10/27/2008 8:52:46 AM

    Clearly, Viet Nam didn'teach us anything, since we repeated most of the same mistakes in Iraq, and too many people want us to repeat the mistakes in Pakistan.

    About the only thing we learned was to give lip service to our soldiers' sacrfices, but judging by their problems getting services and mental health treatment when they return, we still don't treat them very well.

    But a book review on Viet Nam by Henry Kissinger? That's like asking Karl Rove to critique Machiavelli.

  • Posted By: Nowforthetruth @ 10/27/2008 8:44:52 AM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck

    2001 Chicago Public Citizen Radio Interview criticizing the Warren Court as not radical enough for not pursuing redistribution of wealth.

    Says that community organizing is for the purpose of assembling the political power to force redistribution of wealth.

  • Posted By: mpintar @ 10/27/2008 8:16:03 AM

    Upcoming articles in Newsweek: The Tragedy of Darfur by Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Never Forget: Remembering the Holocaust by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

  • Posted By: mpintar @ 10/27/2008 8:12:56 AM

    It is disgraceful that Newsweek allows Henry Kissinger to write an article entitled "What Vietnam Teaches US." Upcoming Newsweek articles: The Tragedy of Darfur by Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Never Forget:The Holcaust Remembered by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

  • Posted By: boscobear @ 10/26/2008 9:26:33 AM

    I don't think anyone should listen to anything Henry Kissinger says about Vietnam. He has too much to answer for about the role he played to begin criticizing anyone else's involvement. In fact, his comments are just a smokescreen to divert attention away from him.

  • Posted By: Ken Hughes @ 10/26/2008 9:15:58 AM

    The strongest refutation of Henry Kissinger's public statements about Vietnam are his private ones, captured on Richard Nixon's secret White House tapes, and cited in my documentary, Fatal Politics.

    http://www.youtube.com/fatalpolitics

  • Posted By: techresmgt @ 10/25/2008 7:08:18 PM

    What Vietnam taught us? Stay out of Vietnam.

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