A New Word

Enough September 5, 2009, 4:12 PM

Westmoreland has now become a verb, those who are advising President Obama should read what happened to a man who thought he could win a war that was not possible to win without killing every person in Indochina. His name was General William Childs Westmoreland and he led our troops into disaster, calling for more and more troops until we had to get out. “Just give me 50,000 more troops and I will win this war.” They may not be the exact words but that was the end result. To westmoreland a war is going from 16,000 to 535,000 and still losing to a mostly guerilla force. So, you advisers who think that you can win in Afghanistan, better read about this general who thought exactly as you do today---this is the good war. There is no good war and Afghanistan is absolutely not a good war and we will have to leave today or tomorrow but we will have to leave.

General after general in Vietnam said we could win. After 58,228+ of our wonderful men and women were slaughtered in the jungles of Vietnam, over 153,452 were wounded then the American people said enough! Our economy said enough, our souls cried out enough. Most researchers put the number of Vietnamese at about 4,000,000 who were murdered on the field of battle or in their huts, or by bombs dropped on villages from thirty thousand feet, or in unnamed places just like My Lai but we don‘t know of them---which part don’t you military geniuses understand? ENOUGH.

President Obama, you were elected to stop these occupations, wars and torture---where is my champion today? You could be the greatest President we have ever had leading this nation, why would you settle to be just another political hack?

Where is my Peace Movement, where are my senators who will cry out--enough? Where did all the protestors go? Where are my wonderful journalists who risk everything to bring a story to the public? Where are the other nations in the world saying no to the continuation of this monster called “Empire?” Where are all my honorable opposition groups to war? They must be in the streets, but I am in the streets and it is lonely.

Joe Walsh---Lone Vet
Individuals for Justice
VVAW, Veterans Against Torture
US Navy 1962-71