Late Again
But at least I found it. (Via Knowledge is Power)
Relatively new blogger Varifrank has a damned fine analysis of The Grand Unified Theory Of Vietnam. There’s just far too much to excerpt from, but to give you an idea, I saved it to my “Essential Library” file. It’s that good. But, in the interest of making sure everyone reads this piece – and I mean EVERYONE, here’s a taste:
And then, something happened that no one foresaw.
An outside force, for the first time since December 7th 1941, had attacked and killed Americans at home. Only this time, it wasn’t at an obscure military base in the Pacific, but was in Manhattan, Liberal, Libertine, New Yorker Magazine– If you lived here, you’d be home by now– Manhattan.
For the first time, the generation which had rejected war as a tool of the oppressor, used largely by American business as a club to subjugate poor countries, was itself faced with an enemy that did not differentiate between the military and civilian, between Marines and little girls on their way to Disneyland and worse, between the real enemy and the enlightened masses of Manhattan. This generation was faced by an enemy that wanted to kill us all, left and right, progressives, liberals, men, women; it made no difference to them. The only choice the Jihadi’s gave us was submission to Islam, or death. This generation had never concided this dogma in their “Grand Unified Theory Of Vietnam.” Kill us? Why? We didn’t vote for George W. Bush! The Terrorists should have attacked Texas!
The Jihadi’s act of violence and insanity shook the world, but no group in it more so than the generation who’s “moral order” was established in Vietnam. “Why do they hate us?” They asked. “It must be our policies.” They said, “See! This is a reaction to globalization. This war thing makes no sense, Europeans live with terror, so why can’t we? Why – it’s just a pretense for the consolidation of power, THAT’S IT!…..”
By George, I think he nailed it.
Please, please, PLEASE read the whole thing. And pass it around to your internet-challenged friends.