As the left did in earlier struggles for colonial liberation, it should stand against imperialism in Ukraine.
should not gain anything for itself
This is also true for China, the Soviet Union, England, and all the other great powers. To have the future of Vietnam decided by these outside powers at an international conference is as much a violation of self-determination as was the settlement of Czechoslovakia’s fate by Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier, and Chamberlain in 1938 at Munich.
In a sense, Senator Mansfield was right in speaking of the sense of utter irresponsibility shown by demonstrators. They should have been demanding not an end to the bombing of North Vietnam and negotiations, but a complete and immediate withdrawal of all American troops and—an end to any forceful interference in the internal affairs of Vietnam or any other nation.
Some groups, like the Progressive Labor Party, denounced Hanoi for agreeing to talks and the Paris Peace Treaty. But the dominant radical view was that even though the United States had no moral right to negotiate, it was up to the Vietnamese, and not holier-than-thou outsiders, to decide if and when the costs of fighting required them to come to the table and make concessions.
A second argument why the Ukraine-Vietnam analogy doesn’t work is that the left’s primary obligation is to fight the wrongdoing of its own government, and, therefore, in both wars the U.S. left should be opposing U.S. imperialism. But while of course U.S. leftists should always oppose U.S. imperialism, that doesn’t mean that they should define themselves in opposition to whatever position the U.S. government takes in every case. For example, when the U.S.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Doomsday Clock Set At 90 Seconds To MidnightUnprecedented Danger”: Russia-Ukraine War Pushes Iconic Doomsday Clock Closest to Midnight Ever in its History
Read more »
Essay: From war-torn Vietnam to building a 'tribe' in our Montrose nail salonIn the intimate setting of the salon, where it takes some amount of vulnerability for...
Read more »
On 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War’s End, We Must Not Forget Its BrutalityAlthough the war is over, trauma remains for many Vietnamese people, and the fight against imperialism rages on.
Read more »
Opinion | Vietnam War Veterans Deserve an ApologyFrom WSJopinion: Many who served in Vietnam weren’t properly welcomed home. These great Americans deserve an apology, writes Jerry C. Davis.
Read more »
Essay | What War Leaders Most Underestimate: Duration and DeathsAmericans might make better decisions about war and peace if we spent more time studying military history, writes Michael O’Hanlon
Read more »