I have never been on a cruise, but we receive mailings from that Viking River Cruises organization. I usually take a a quick look and toss them. Today, however, I take note of the Magnficent Mekong trip, 15 days, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, seeing all the wonderful sights. OK, there probably IS a lot to see. But, back in 1965-66, I PREDICTED this, that Americans would be taking vacations to Vietnam, enjoying the beaches and other scenery there, that we would have a lot of trade with Vietnam, US companies with offices there, that Vietnam was not the domino that folks in high places were saying. But we had to lose almost 60,000 US lives there, many tens of thousands more wounded, and probably more tham a million Vietnamese dead. Maybe the Viking River cruise ship will pass nearby the spots where two good friends of mine died in combat, both leaving wives and children. Politicians and bureaucrats do this kind of thing--get the USA involved in places. WITHOUT careful thought and good planning, getting us in chin deep and then deeper, not wanting to admit their mistakes (we all know Ivy Leaguers never make--or admit--mistakes!) The politicians and bureaucrats VERY seldom get personally involved or have their own loved ones involved. The folks who got us involved in Iraq were mainly the ones who dodged the Vietnam draft in various clever ways. I could cite some of the ways, including Dick Cheneys expectant father exemption, the law school daisy chain method, the faked physical ailments, etc. (Adella and I connsidered the expectant father thing, both of us having serious doubts about the war, but that seemed very dishonorable--not to Dick Cheney, though, and he says he LIKED the war). With Iraq and Afghanistan, it is worse in some ways, because we have no draft, so there is NO chance that the children and grandchildren of war planners will have to put on uniforms and leave college or the shopping malls, do not even have to inconvenience themselves. I have nothing against the folks who take the Vietnam Mekong river cruise, and buying made in Vietnam stuff would not offend me. I never served in Vietnam and had non-combat Army jobs doing paperwork for the Medical Corps. I only wish the smart people who make decisions would be more careful. I just dont like situations where leaders make snap decisions, make decisions in extreme anger, and have OTHER peoples children jump into quick sand in places where these leaders would never, EVER, go themselves.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:00:34 +0000
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