University of Virginia Library

Blame Ideologies

The blame for this tragedy is
rightly placed only on an abstract
thing. The certainties the My Lai
case presents reveal the true source
of the actions there, and the area in
which blame certainly should
reside. The real scapegoat must be
dogmatic ideologies. The
continuance of war, especially this
kind of war, is due in large part to
the unbending ideological
ambitions of the principle actors.

My Lai is the result of men and
societies professing to know THE
right course the world should
follow. It stems from average men
pretending they are omniscient
philosophers or even deities. Just as
Woodrow Wilson might be upset to
know that everyone does not agree
with the rightness of democracy,
Chairman Mao would disagree that
possibly some Asian countries do
want constitutional democracy.
Both positions are dogmatic and
ideological. Both naturally
contribute to the ultimate conflict
that neither really wants.