Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/11/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Eric Welch wrote: > > That isn't how it happened. Listen to the reporters who were covering > the war for the Washington Post and New York Times and you see a > different picture. David Halberstam and his colleagues went over there > fully supporting the war as a way to contain communism. They were > convinced by the grunts that the war was un-winnable and that the > leadership were not telling the truth about body counts and other > aspects of the war (see Gulf of Tonkin). > > Of course, as the war drug on things changed. Walter Cronkit's coverage > of the Tet Offensive and his conclusion that he explained on the air > that the war was a mistake caused a lot of the public to shift their > attitudes. Researchers have actually traced that moment as the point > where the war effort began to lose steam. > > It all depends on perspective. I agree with you, that it was probably a > good thing that the media made the war's costs clear to the American > people, and that they pressured the government to stop and pull out. > That's what democracy is about. And the grumbling to this day by our > Military strategic thinkers (I learned that covering the Army's Command > College at Fort Leavenworth) that it was the media's fault we lost that > war\ is the perfect example of why the US puts civilians in charge of > the military. > So nice to read Eric it's been mostly clarified for me but not quite! but I'm still finding myself unclear in my view of this. In one sense we are saying it is not Americain opinion which wins or looses a war it's the bumbling Military. But in another sense it seems that that IS what is being said. I imagine in the end it takes BOTH the military and public opinion to win or loose a war. Up all night with a toothache and now I'm seeing it all so clearly though the prism of false narcotics. Thank god for the Vikings they brought Vicodin over from Norway or I'd be dead right now! Mark the throbbing cheeky one Rabiner Portland, Oregon USA http://www.rabinergroup.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html