Discussion about this post

User's avatar
OldnTired's avatar

As I recall, Robert McNamara was influenced by his own anti-war children, who were active in the movement. McNamara was no fool, contrary to how we’ve been brought up to see him. He made colossal mistakes in the name of efficiency (ahem) but he thought about outcomes, even when he was dead wrong. Even Lyndon Johnson, who actually listened to the pulse of America (‘we’ve lost Walter Cronkite”) knew that the policy was wrong when his informal group of anti-Communist advisors (The wise men) finally figured out that their policy advisement had been wrong and on 10 March 1968 they laid it out for LBJ.

NVN is only one of a long line of examples of a people being willing to take it and survive. Both England and Germany in WWII were misread by their opponents. Hitler and the Germans thought that the ‘weak’ Englanders would capitulate after making their lives miserable. The British, especially men like Bomber Harris, thought that the German populous would turn against the Reich if enough death and suffering were brought against them. Then there is our own country’s founding. The British thought they could route out and destroy through attrition the fledgling democracy movement, but their tactics only made it stronger. And those examples are only regarding entire nations, and don’t even reflect how many movements of the downtrodden have grown stronger the moment more oppression is levied against them.

Unfortunately, Trump is drunk on real power. Those who should be defending the Constitution have wilted under his maniacal assault or been discovered to have been closet fascists all along. The effort to end this will not be pretty, and the whole ballot box thing is being rigged by them. I don’t know the answer, but the movement towards the light of morning is going to be rough.

Expand full comment
Leu2500's avatar

“ It’s hard for any of us to understand the motivation behind the ICE raids.”

It’s the racism & sadism. Trump & Miller are defective people. Kristi Noem shot her puppy. In a kid, cruelty like that is a sign that they could grow up to be a sociopath. & like attracts like. Ever read/watch The Lottery?

Expand full comment
20 more comments...

No posts