Escalation of Vietnam
It is my observation that at this point in your administration you are enjoying considerable latitude with the American public. Your overwhelming victory in the recent election has illustrated your popularity. The platform on which you ran promised the American public that our boys would not be sent to die in Vietnam. If you are going to act on your word, and end the war in Vietnam, the time is now.It is also my observation that your top aides having been overwhelming you with advice in the opposite direction. Your beloved Robert McNamara, whose opinion you value deeply, has made this war his personal project. He is guaranteeing that the war can be won within two and a half years. He has stated that there is no risk of a catastrophe. He and General Westmoreland feel confident that the war can be won. However, they have continually been asking for more and more troops since mid-1964. You have already agreed to send more marines and authorize offensive operations. If there is no limit set on the number of troops, it becomes easier and easier to keep sending them. What is our clear military objective? Do our military leaders have a strategic plan for victory? Again in June, General Westmoreland ha
George Bundy has become militant in his stance, and is urging you to escalate and not to be deterred by the risk of a ground war with China. President, I realize that you are a man who rises to meet challenges and does not accept defeat. "Favoring my position is Undersecretary of State George Ball. " McNamara, to whom fell the responsibility for overseeing this new American conflict seems of two minds. It must feel natural to continue at this point of the war. I encourage you to reassess this policy and not feel obligated to continue down the wrong path. Remember that these men are the men of Jack Kennedy's circle. ) to make clear to Hanoi that we would accept this position, it could have a chance for negotiations. But now, he has become impatient for getting down to the details of winning and feels that abandoning Vietnam would produce "a complete shift in the world balance of power" and would have bad domestic repercussions, including "a disastrous political fight" and even an erosion of political freedom. There would need to be a pause in the bombing, in order to send a representative to discuss the matter. On the other hand, saving Vietnam would, he argued, have a range of benefits, including setting the stage for efforts at economic development and population control in a "gigantic arc from South Vietnam to Iran and the Middle East, . The pause would assure Hanoi that we are serious in negotiating.
Common topics in this essay:
Viet Cong,
Hanoi-Viet Cong,
Cold War,
June Westmoreland,
Robert McNamara,
Tonkin Gulf,
,
George Ball,
United France,
Sweden Soviets,
american public,
american troops,
viet cong,
feel obligated continue,
cold war,
free elections,
top aides,
south vietnam,
tonkin gulf,
july 21st,
situation saigon,
|
Acceptance Essays
