Hitchens on why the Iraqi election is nothing like the Vietnamese election

[dorbie 0]

Jolly good read:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2112895/

[mr2mk1g 10]

I agree - I don't think the election in Iraq ought to draw many comparisons to that in Vietnam... but the following conclusion just seems plain odd to me:

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He [Ho Chi Minh] had, moreover, been an ally of the West in the war against Japan. Nothing under this heading can be said of the Iraqi Baathists

um... what about our backing of Iraq during their war with Iran... would that not be seen as analogus to our being on the same side as Ho Chi Minh during WWII?

Ah well... tis a small point in an article whos general conclusion I agree with... although he also seems to be suggesting that taking issue with the war equates to making excuses for the Baathism or jihadism... I would suggest the two are quite seperate.

[chuckbrown 0]

By & large a good article. I do dispute his claim that Vietnam never invaded a neighboring country until after the U.S. left. The North Vietnamese occupied a large part of southern Laos & eastern Cambodia during the U.S. war. I'll grant that Sihanouk permitted the NVA to be in Cambodia, but they remained after Lon Nol took power. As for Laos, it was "invaded" pure and simple.

Hitchens is still one of my favorite columnists.

[jdhill 0]

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what about our backing of Iraq during their war with Iran... would that not be seen as analogus to our being on the same side as Ho Chi Minh during WWII?

Not quite... If we were at war with Iran, and Iran had occupied Iraq, then it would match up.

J

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[Guest]

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Jolly good read:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2112895/

Uncle Ho had backing and funding from major powers (the USSR and China), as part of a larger international communist movement. The Baath have Syria.

mh

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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."