Ken Burns - Vietnam

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Poke78

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That it was. I thought Eisenhower sent the first troops over there. Finding out it was Truman, and Ho considered the US as an allie was a revelation. We trained the early Viet Minh using the WWII OSS.

Current parallel: the CIA trained the Afghan fighters taking on the Soviets in the early 80s that have now morphed into Islamic jihad of various stripes. As they say, history doesn't necessarily repeat itself but it sure can rhyme.
 

SMS

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Current parallel: the CIA trained the Afghan fighters taking on the Soviets in the early 80s that have now morphed into Islamic jihad of various stripes. As they say, history doesn't necessarily repeat itself but it sure can rhyme.

Sort of but not. We didn't "make" Ho and we didn't "make" the Muj. Ho and the Muj always had a plan that didn't involve becoming little Americas.

Ho Chi Minh, like the Muj, always had different end goals than we did. They existed before us, used us to further their cause and then moved on/continued their mission when the relationship failed or was overcome by events.

Our problem, the one we keep repeating, is that we see everything as an American problem through American eyes. That may work for us, for a little while, but it doesn't bring real, lasting solutions when dealing with another nation/people who have different ideas, cultures, desires etc...

I was a bit worried that this mini series would take a bash-America and glorify the communists tone but so far it's been pretty even handed.
 
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