For five years the politicians
have told us that victory in
Vietnam would only be a matter of
months. It is obvious to all but the
flag-wavers who would substitute a
gory victory for virtue that this is
not true. The U.S. is not in a
position to win. After all, the
French tried, and I mean really
tried, to conquer Vietnam. They
weren't holding back so Litton
Industries could make another
buck, or franc, but they still lost.
We are pouring lives down the
drain solely out of national pride.
No one pretends anymore that out
cause is freedom for the South
Vietnamese. Such authors as William
Corson and William J. Lederer
have exposed the brutal military
dictatorship that we uphold there,
and even YAF has not termed them
communists.
What prestige are we supposedly
maintaining by our presence there?
The only way to restore our
prestige as a freedom-loving people
(as opposed to nation) and gain
true pride in ourselves is to reject the
YAF—Kwapisz doctoring of my-country-(my-war)-right-or-wrong,
and to admit that we are and were
wrong and get out. I urge the
members of the academic community
to reject those who would
march all our young men off to
Vietnam to the tune of "Die Fahne
Hoch," and support the Vietnam
Moratorium.
