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You mean the same guy who prolonged the Vietnam war for his own political gain? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nixon-prolonged-vietnam-war-for-politi
by michaelteter 4y ago
You mean the same guy who prolonged the Vietnam war for his own political gain? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nixon-prolonged-vietnam-war-for-political-gainand-johnson-knew-about-it-newly-unclassified-tapes-suggest-3595441/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nixon-prolonged-vi...
"Nixon won by just 1 percent of the popular vote. “Once in office he escalated the war into Laos and Cambodia, with the loss of an additional 22,000 American lives, before finally settling for a peace agreement in 1973 that was within grasp in 1968,” says the BBC."
I would say "beyond evil".
- bboygravity 4y agoAnd then there was the Watergate scandal. And the letting go of the gold standard (whether this is evil is debatable).
- euroderf 4y agoThe government of France kind of forced his hand. They were buying up gold at the official price.
- refurb 4y agoThat article is pure fantasy. The South didn't need any help walking away from a peace deal in '68. Hell, they walked away from the peace deal in '72 and only signed because Nixon told them the US was leaving regardless. And there was no peace deal in '68 with the North. The North wasn't even interested in negotiating until a couple years after Nixon got into office. And funny how Nixon gets blamed for "prolonging" a war he never started. How about blame JFK and LBJ for starting and escalating it into a massive conflict?
- michaelteter 4y agoSo this investigation, including the tape recordings referenced, are fantasy? https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21768668 https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21768668 Perhaps it's easier to believe this about Nixon given his other documented crimes. Or you can just browse the transcripts here to get an idea of what he was willing to do and what his motivations were for making decisions. https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/watergate-trial-tapes https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/watergate-trial-tapes
- refurb 4y agoIt’s pure fantasy. Yes, Nixon did tell the South that he could get them a better deal if they waited until after the election. But the idea that the US and North Vietnam were on the verge of a peace deal in ‘68 is just laughable. And sure Nixon did lots of things wrong, but that doesn’t mean I automatically believe some article that makes a preposterous conclusion.
- michaelteter 4y ago> Nixon did tell the South that he could get them a better deal if they waited until after the election So whether a more immediate peace deal was likely or not, he made an effort to postpone it. And he had specific personal reasons for wanting it postponed. Given the other actions he took for personal gain, why should we believe this was any different? But at this point, we're way outside HN boundaries. So I'll leave it alone.
- zardo 4y ago> But the idea that the US and North Vietnam were on the verge of a peace deal in ‘68 is just laughable. North and South Vietnam weren't on the verge of peace, but the US could easily have had peace at any time by withdrawing.
- refurb 4y agoThat’s not peace that’s capitulation.
- moloch-hai 4y agoThere is more than enough blame to go around.