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Travelers Digest

2007 Vietnam Editorial

American-Vietnam War; Remembered

Morality issues, facts, and the grim results of War.

In addition; What's wrong with America & Commercialism?

Written by: Michael Smith Sept. 2007 (Part 1)

*Below quotes are copyrighted and were written by Michael Smith.
04-30-08

"Never forgive our tyrants, whether they be Gods or Man.
Nor should we forget our ignorance for ever believing in them."
(MS)


"Religion is the epitome of mans inability to accept responsibility" (MS)

Patriotism is believing that your country is the best
simply because you were born there.

My name is Mike Smith. My job and my goal is to travel the globe unearthing it's beauty and hidden mysteries and regretfully it's horrors. During my extensive tour of Vietnam I uncovered many dark secrets of the American-Vietnam war and it wasn't what Americans were led to believe for all these years; nor was it what they would want to believe today. It was, however, as I had always believed knowing our history and the weakness of mankind! Growing up a realist I soon learned that my head was more than a hat rack and a television translator. I pride myself as being thoughtful, and may I add, sensitive to the suffrage of others and our environment. Having lived a full life of adventure in exploring this planet I consciously mold myself into each and every experienced culture.

My long and arduous, but enlightening, journeys throughout SE Asia and especially Vietnam opened my eyes to truths that most will never dare to accept. During our long and wasteful Vietnam war...America was the enemy, just as we are now in Iraq. With our contempt for pretty much everything living we did our utter best to destroy this beautiful country, the region in general, and it's gracious, but naive people. This atrocity should never be forgotten by the world, nor accepted by Americans and must cease being justified by the dogs of war. I will never forgive my country and it's contemptuous leaders that caused the deaths of so many, 57,000+ Americans, numerous thousands of puppet allies and the demise, not to elaborate on the total chaos, of over 5 million Vietnamese people; the majority being non-combatants. As well as countless victims befalling the USA onslaught into Laos, Burma, (now Myramar) and Cambodia. [Viet Nam Coat of Arms]Thailand, in being afraid of getting dragged into the rage, allowed America to build and operate bases in their country. They have still not been fully forgiven by their neighbors.

Is is not time for the world and especially Americans to grind their industries of war to a halt and once and for all realize that the billions of hard working citizen's tax dollars sucked into the vacuum of profit generated companies selling weapons of war to every corner of the globe are the causes for the global conflicts. The resources could definitely be put to better uses. America is definitely not biased or selective in whom they sell their weapons. They sell them pretty much to anyone and everyone, dictators, corrupt regimes, neighboring tribes and will supply all sides in the conflicts, such as in the Iraq-Iranian war of the late 80's. The American tax payers have given free reign to the war dogs and fund their development of new and even more deadlier weapons in a never ending cycle of insanity. And for what...so some fat cat good ole boys can smoke Cuban cigars...buy more beach homes and spend more time leisurely traveling the globe demeaning women in poor countries? Isn't it time to fund alternate energy, build more and better hospitals, provide affordable health care for your citizens? The USA could fund space exploration at a much faster rate, cure diseases, and even fund free universities? It could even spend a few billion on building adequate and faster rail service across it's vast expanse. And they could help eliminate global poverty.

Now is the time to acknowledge that the cost for fear mongering is extremely too high? Where's the sanity? Where is the global peace promised at the end of each war? The western countries consistently pretend to be under threat and attack, but in reality they're the ones behind the terror. Giving them the self empowerment to pre-empty vicious attacks, but most often only on countries with vast amounts of resources or statistical importance. Loudly, but fallaciously crying out in fear for their security, then proceeding to destroy the economy and livelihood of entire regions, not to detail the poor and mostly helpless victims of these third world nations. blindfolding their citizens with panic the western governments pursue what they believe to be their right to accumulate excessive wealth and global dominance. They  vainly declare their belief in absolute redemption from their God, making it easier to accept their vile deeds of self-gratuity. They cry and moan the death of a pet, but turn their backs to the cries of millions of people suffering from war, as well as natural and other man-made calamities. Where is compassion...logic, sanity and most definitely... where is the love? America was once a nation of envy, of respect, but now it's a nation to fear and loathe. Are Americans proud of their self-serving achievements? A two party political system is ludicrous. Which of these malignant law school good ole boys do you vote for...asshole A or asshole B? Either and you still end up in the outhouse.

With all the fiber of my existence and worldly experience I have learned never to accept the words of rhetoric spewing from the mouths of those with the most to gain and when I hear the words "Trust Me...Vote for Me" I get chills up and down my spine.

While touring in Asia, 3 months in Hong Kong, throughout China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indochina and especially throughout SE Asia and the 10 weeks spent in Vietnam, I was justified in my long suspicions about the Vietnam War. Roaming, chatting, listening, collecting information and shooting hundreds of photos of left war machines...visiting the war museums, but the most heart saddening of all was seeing the remaining victims left crippled and scarred forever. After touring through out the country I settled for 7 weeks in the main city of America's occupation, Saigon, I didn't just see and read the effects of the long and costly war...I felt it in the marrow of my bones and witnessed it in the land and the people. I walked the barren land laid wasted by America's use of Agent Orange, phosphorus, napalm and constant bombing. I sat down and chatted with many older men and women crippled from the atrocities of the war. Some had no arms to wipe away their shed tears as they poured out their hearts to me. Others no legs...no feet and most definitely a horrific past and a shady future at best. I saw the deep scars of their frayed infra-structure, slowly, but tenaciously being rebuilt. Yes, I didn't just read about the effects...I tasted them...smelled them and felt them in each beat of my heart. The truth, as they say, is a hard and bitter pill to swallow and I know that I, personally, can only ask that Americans learn from this horrid war and that they be forgiven by the strong and inspiring people of Vietnam, as well as it's many neighboring countries. On March the 24th, 2007, on a hot and rainy afternoon, I walked out of the war museum in the central of Saigon and  felt small...very small. At that very moment I lost the remaining ounce of my naiveties and the last clinging hope of belief that we, as Americans, had actually been fighting, dying and murdering in Vietnam for a cause...any cause.  

By birth I am an American, my Mother being mostly a full blooded Piute Indian, while my Father being of Irish and Norwegian decent, I am quite an odd combination of Viking and native American. My Norwegian blood drives me, while my Indian blood directs me. Reading these words you might assume that I am no longer a proud American. You would be correct in your assumption. As a child in America we were taught to feel pride in our country. We were coached to say our morning pledge of allegiance at school, to salute the flag and to always be thankful of being born in this God fearing nation. Yes, I, like millions of other Americans believed, wanted to believe, in the fervor of the patriotic hype. They fed us their deceit as if it were chocolate candy. The patriotism political and religious system created by our so called perfect forefathers and forever manipulated by every preceding leader, teacher and preacher truly lied and conspired in making Americans believe that they and only they could lead us direct us and keep us safe. Their directional conditioning would forever keep their citizens under mass control like mindless children. They passed thousand of freedom diminishing laws, ridiculous regulations...forever driving their people to work harder, buy a bigger house, spend...spend...don't worry...you can always go to Disney Land to play when you're over stressed. And when it suited them the Whitehouse criminals bellowed their cries for war. Loud mind boggling echo's of rhetoric driving the people into a frenzy mass of hysterical robots. War is necessary...war drives our economy, protects our God given rights...assures us of our global policies and goals. On and on the words pour out of their manipulative mouths. Loudly and repetitive the sounds echo through the streets, into the schools and into our homes via our federally controlled medias with constant mind dulling audible and visual sound bites. They remain comfortable in the knowledge that we, the people, are at their beck and call continuing to tremble in fear when they warn us over and over that only they can rid our closets of bogymen...that only they can protect us from the endless dark shadows... shadows of imaginary enemies created like wall puppets by the power mongrels and politicians, those with the most to gain from our childish fears. Me...I never fell for any of it...not as child and definitely not as a free thinking man. And I damn sure don't like to be taken for granted nor treated like a brain dead patriot. Patriotism is believing that your country is the best simply because you were born there. Just more global division...patriotism... religion, wealth and poverty, global commercialism in general and sadly...even sports! My question...how long do the people of the world remain puppets?

The pulpits of religion and politics continue their mind controlling rituals of preparing the next generation of obedient tax payers and little tin soldiers. The psychotic misdeeds of these powerful bloodsucking mongrels cry out to our patriotism with catchy mottos like: "You have but one life to give" and "Its your duty to die with honor for your country and "Your country needs you" and even more insane, "Onward Christian Soldiers Marching off to War." Boy that one really perturbs me. Illogical fervor swells rampantly in their citizens, making them feel obligated to be obedient servants. Our institutions instill in their young military recruits that they are nothing more than government property, 'GI, means, Government Issue.' I'm not sure, and I doubt that anyone can clarify absolutely, the many reasons America remains a warring and barbaric nation; a nation of takers, of people convinced that the world belongs to them and no matter what the needs of others that they have the right to claim its resources. And that with their military might they can just take what they want...whenever... where-ever. Believing that no nation can stop them leads to increased weapon proliferation as other nations seek to defend themselves. Their self given rights to police the world provide golden opportunities to meddle in the affairs of others and they are masters of deceit and manipulation. When that fails they use bribery, threats and when necessary...war, naval blockades and even total annihilation. With these tools they continue to dominate the world.

Why does the empowerment of 11th century doctrines of church and state still exist? Why? Because we, the people, allow it to remain and continue to support the institutions that keep it in power. As that the USA was founded in war fighting bloody battles with our English brethren and then continuing to wage one-sided campaigns of murder against the rightful owners of our newly claimed land...the indigenous Indians...and so began a long history of warring for self proclamation. "Might over Right."

Doesn't it bother Americans that every inch of their soil was wretched from the dead and dying tribes of free natives? Is not America built on the graves of hundreds of thousands of these people? Did not our admired and worshipped leaders of the past destroy not only the natives lives, their right to exist...their future and their beliefs, but did not they seek to end their very way of life? Not even allowing them to speak their native language! The obviously inherited callousness in justifying their demise continue to lead you down this terrible path, as even today you attack and occupy Afghanistan and wage a bloody war against the people of Iraq seeking to control  their resources. And that's not enough to quench your thirst for blood and oil, as even now you further threaten to escalate your violence into the neighboring countries of Syria and Iran. Are you naive enough to believe that you can secure your peace by waging war? Are you to allow yourselves to be led down this same path again and again...marching blindly off to war when the rich blow their horn of patriotism and wave their cloaks of frenzy? Are you not emotional and thinking human beings or are you nothing more than what your leaders always believed...just children afraid of the dark? Are you just unimportant livestock that can easily be led into self-induced chaos? Take a moment out of your busy, but fruitless lives, and ponder the good we could do with the trillions of dollars, wasted ingenuity and livelihoods of so many people now laying dead and forgotten in yet another war cemetery? It's time to stop the madness! Get involved. Put your own live on hold and do something to better the lives of the world's people and do you part to stop the destruction of our living planet...it's home to us all.

In the war with Vietnam we spent our resources, our young in a ceaseless rampage of murder, bloodshed, torture and unfathomable chaos. America brought to Vietnam the full power of it's industrial might, it's overwhelming war machines, the entire wealth and resources of it's country, along with the manpower and resources of numerous allies, but in the end you and everything you sought to accomplish were defeated, humiliated and then scorned by the unrelenting will power and simple ingenuity of the Vietnamese people. It wasn't their military that won the war...it was the unwavering strength and devotion of their people...every man, woman and child. When the peoples army of Vietnam marched into Saigon in April 1975 the beleaguered Americans were scrambling to get the hell out of the country, abandoning it's allies, the S. Vietnamese, billions in surplus goods and enough weapons to fight yet another war. The American youth died, your country lost it's respect in the world and you...the American tax payer footed the bill. Aren't you proud? Instead of sticking out your chest in pride you should be ashamed for being led by manipulative morons not giving a damn about you, your family or your very existence...you're just a pawn...a hard working slob that like an obedient dog does what you're told, while continuing to pay your taxes for yet another war and more private jets, yachts and beach homes for the rich and not so famous.

The Vietnam war divided your nation, and the world, and ended the Republican dynasty. So much sacrificed for so little! The loss was in spite of the fact that American forces dropped more bombs than in the entirety of all previous wars ever fought in the entire world. In spite that you used weapons of mass destruction, such as Dioxin (agent orange) napalm, gas, high explosive ordinances, phosphorus bombs, mines and countless other weapons of destruction, in which most killed non combatants... innocent people just trying to survive another day. Your little tin soldiers imprisoned, tortured, beheaded, and raped, as well as often gutting and actually skinning children. Your soldiers maimed, killed and literally murdered not thousands, but millions of Vietnamese people. American records vary from 1 million to about 4 million, but the consensus in Vietnam and the rest of the world state the number to be much higher; possibly 6+ million killed, approximately 14 million wounded and countless more left destitute and homeless. These figures do not reflect the additional millions that are still suffering from the countless negative effects of the 1000's of tons of chemicals used by the American forces. It also does not include the causalities in neighboring countries. Laos is recorded as the most heavily bombed country in the world. In Laos, Cambodia, Myramar and Vietnam there are still, as of today, endless stretches of once fertile land laid absolutely barren and the countries are laden with dangerous landmines...millions!.

Could America have defeated Vietnam? My answer is no; not without entirely destroying every inch of the country and killing every man, woman and child. Why? There are numerous reasons. For 1: the Vietnamese people are united in every aspect of their existence; in their work, their social status and in the total tenacity for everything they do. They have unyielding pride and love for their country and each other, and this was and remains true for each and every Vietnamese from the smallest child to the oldest man and woman. They live, work, as well as communicate and function in total sync with one another. They respect and adore each other and go out of their way to help each other. They never bicker, argue or fight and have true compassion. They employ a work ethnic that would kill any westerner within a week. Things that western civilizations could never exhibit. 2. These people can live for months on a hand full of rice a day and suckle water from plants. They can march barefoot in total darkness for weeks, dig tunnels hundreds of kilometers long by hand, carry excessive loads, endure enormous discomfort and severe pain without whining. 3. But mostly for the very simple reason that they were invaded and were fighting for their lives, their culture, their heritage and everything they believed in. Americans were fighting because they were ordered to do so by their superiors... because they were drafted into a war and a region of the world they knew nothing about. The Americans were stuck, afraid, disorganized and as for the grunts on the ground...they were simply counting the days when they could go back home to safety, apple pie, their friends and families. Back to a land that wasn't suffering in torture and death. Why was America in the war? Why did the industrial might of a super power invade a country of poor, backward people in a nation smaller the size of the state of Florida? Why? I'll tell you why! It was to boost your economy by revving up the war industry and it generated big bucks for the players. It was for world dominance and extended influence. It was to bully this little SE Asian country, and eventually it's neighbors, into forfeiting their land and wealth to their industrial carpet-baggers. Their goal was to make them submit to your way of thinking and to mimic your culture, to extend your markets for your products...and their simple orders were to do it or die! America continuously struggles to set a precedence for other nations; to make them and keep them in awe of Americas power and in making them accept that America has the right and the might to do any damn thing it wants, whatever...whenever and where ever! America...the nuclear bully in the playground!

American gains & loses from the war: Over crowded memorial cemeteries and a very long wall bearing the names of dead boys. With 57,000+ dead, close to a million wounded and decades of suffrage by the surviving vets and their families. Hundreds of Billions of tax dollars wasted. Their nation ripped apart. Lose of respect around the globe. Major health and mental  issues for generations and the beginning of a new era of gun rights, murder and jammed prisons; millions of drug addicts and organized drug trafficking. Most sadly of all was that the loss of the war was blamed on the peace movement... the very people trying to save some dignity for the American people. The movement seeking to save lives of both Americans and Vietnamese. The movement fought to stop the slaughter in Laos, Burma, (now Myramar), and the murder of tens of thousand bombed in Cambodia. Your leaders and their dogs of war turned their guns on the American people that dared demand peace. The terrible conclusion is that America has never and probably will never accept their actions in Vietnam; nor have they made reparations to Vietnam and it's neighbors. America still believe they were right.

Vietnam loses: Approximately 6+ million, close to 4 million civilians deaths. 14+ million wounded, millions displaced and homeless. Decades of poverty, disease and utter starvation. Generations of birth defects and contaminated land are still evident today. Trillions of dollars in damage to every aspect of their lives; depredation to their culture and countless future generations; destruction of their cities, villages and towns, their infra structure, their farmland, wildlife & livestock and so much more. These gracious, but tenacious people endured the raping of their women and even little girls. The suffered the torture and total humiliation of their people and were left with nothing more than memories of how American soldiers enslaved the people, turned their young women into whores...how they raped their children and often killed them afterwards. Memories of watching American soldiers pour gas and set their friends and families ablaze for no other reason than that they could. They answered to no one and no American cared. Memories of watching their villages being napalmed, the people gutted, beheaded and drug behind jeeps and tanks. Of watching soldiers tie hand-grenades to their people to laugh in hysteria when they blew up. The soldiers of America were taught and encouraged to believe that the Vietnamese people were less than animals, subhuman, nothing but gooks. It made it easier for these young, numb boys to carry out their competitive sport of acquiring more kills and body counts than other squadrons. It wasn't war...it was sport killing...blind and obedient slaughter.

Am I angry? You god damn right I'm angry and you should be too! Why? Because it's all happening again in Iraq. Does the USA need the mega bucks from their war and weapon industry to prosper? No they don't, even though their government  has sold them out, having taken away their citizens right to work, to prosper logistically, and have allowed and even encouraged our largest industries to move to 3rd world nations with no health or safety benefits in order to increase their profits. American inventors continuously sell out their country's interest and growth potential by selling their ingenuity, products and patents to other nations for a quick profit. The American government and their corporate partners orchestrate laws and ridiculous restrictions making it nearly impossible for the production of American cars, stereos, computers, steel, glass, textile and electronic products to be sold competitively on global market. They refuse to demand the big auto companies to produce efficient and quality vehicles...and the list goes on and on and on. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that America itself is its greatest enemy.

Is America still a rich nation? Not 'no...but hell no! Your nation is and has for the last 9 years under this disgusting greedy and corrupt Republican regime become a debtor nation with minuses in every aspect of it's economy, locally and globally. The current collapse of the housing industry, major banks, credit institutions and large broker companies the country is now in a full blown recession. The USA has billions in trade deficits with Japan, China, Europe, and other countries and even borrows billions annually from Japan and China to finance it's Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. The debt of the USA grows by leaps and bounds each day.

Should America still pretend to be a proud nation? What the hell do they have to be proud of? As of now America's the most hated and feared nation on Earth, as well as comical, just listen to president Bush make a retarded attempt at speaking. Hell' the man's an idiot and a joke...a sick joke and a dangerous one at that! Is America a secured nation? Not in the slightest. Why? Well, when you wage wars and police actions on a global scale you generate new threats and create new and even more dangerous enemies daily and doing so while depleting the nations resources. To continue along this path America will remain living in constant fear, just as scripted by your large American companies, as they sell their souls and yours, for profits...very large profits. They support the politicians and are in return supported, but the people pay the bills. Endless in their attempts to keep it's citizens in fearful panic they bankrupt your nation by implementing so-called security at the airports, putting metal detectors in your schools, banks, etc., but then wouldn't dare go against the gun associations by passing stricter gun laws.

The EPA & the FDA are encouraged and allowed to raise the limits on chemicals and contaminates allowable in their water, their air and in the food. And amidst the turmoil and stress the citizens follow along in blind obedience; foolish enough to believe that by giving up your shampoo and fingernail clippers at the airport you are doing your part. Does it make you safer when the airport security makes old women and young kids remove their shoes? Facts are that billions of tons of cargo pour through your open ports in unchecked containers each month. Are you safe even without the so-called threat from global activists, when your streets. cities and towns are the most dangerous in the world? You have much greater odds of dying from a common cold, food poison or a car accident than you would ever have from being killed by an extremist. America has more violence than all nations combined. You have more people in jails and prisons than all of the world and even more behind bars than you do in Universities or working behind desks. Your educational system is horrific. The value and merit you have for yourself and your peers are all in dollar signs...$$$. Having a luxury car and a large home is much more important to you than stopping the actions of your out of control politicians or helping to aid your fellow humans starving and dying as a direct result of your actions. Your kids killing each other over cell phones and sneakers!  Their egos more important than anyone or anything else.

Homeland security...what a play on words...like other words paraphrased in Bush's 3rd grade speeches about...freedom...terrorist...and his constant referral to God and other, mostly mispronounced. words repetitively used in his brain-dead speeches...portraying his sheer and utter contempt for your intelligence. Then there's always the constant news bites and their apparently successful attempts at influencing your self indulging brains. I guess it's true what Hitler once declared during WW 11; "Scream it loud and long enough and the people will believe anything." Home land security is a staged and well rehearsed play in their guise in keeping you blind to the deep secrets of just where the true danger lies! So much effort and wasted funds spent in fooling the American people in believing that they're under attack and that their way of live is in jeopardy. The madness makes me sick and it's not that the government's doing it...that's expected, but it's that the American people actually believe the bullshit. "Oh, and by the way...the sky's falling."

The truth is that America, as well as their ass kissing allies, England, Europe in general and especially Israel, are the real terrorist nations. Think about it...they're bombing...invading, killing, occupying, imprisoning and torturing people all over the world. They overthrow world leaders, bribe, bomb and steal resources and obliterate entire heritages. The CIA, British's MI6, also known as SIS and Israel's Mossad all have their dirty hands in everyone's business and they run more drugs and weapons than all of the world's so-called cartels. Haven't you noticed that the poppy fields in Afghanistan are now being cultivated with new American supplied tractors? The American CIA and special forces are everywhere, undermining the world's governments and economies, as well as ambushing and disposing anyone in their way. Our war ships cruise around the world intimidating entire regions. America bribes, coerces and/or threatens every nation in the world in allowing the building of their bases.

America boasts of its charitable provisions to Africa in their fight against Aids, which is thought to have most likely been created by Americans, as they give the African governments and organizations large sums of credit. But what they don't mention is that these credits can only be used in the purchase of over priced American drugs. The word charity in their interpretation is simple... America's interest...first and foremost. Then of course these bullied and impoverished nations receive their generous share of munitions and war machines, but at a very high price...again...America profits and everyone else loses. And consider that America can't even make a decent car, but yet are great in designing and building excellent war machines. That alone should tell you something at their policies...But as Americans see it they shouldn't be too concerned, after-all they live in the land blessed by their Jewish God. The land where the home of the free and the brave live and for further validation, as God fearing people, it has their best buddy...Israel...which, by self degree are God's chosen people. It is sad that Americans actually believe they are blessed by some all powerful God and have inherited his blessings and permission to do whatever they damn well please.

My question is simple; If America is under attack, as proclaimed, then why do they build arsenals of offensive weapons instead of defensive ones? I am an American and do I hate my country? Absolutely not. Why am I so harsh on America? Simply because I want the people of America to wake up and stop waving their flags long enough to get off their asses and stand up to their government and their profit driven corporations. It's our country...when are we going to reclaim it? Haven't we been pawns and sheep long enough? How long do our citizens intend to pray and wait for their mystical God to save them?

Western civilizations begin conditioning their kids to grow up to be competitive which later results in their being excellent candidates for the US military. We buy them what ever they want...not what they need. War toys, violent video games and allowing them to watch countless murder and mayhem movies. The American youth are encouraged to believe it's ok to hunt and murder animals, to be aggressive, get in fights and to do onto others before they do onto them. They're allowed to lie and cheat and are then defended by their parents with sheer mordacity, even if their sons are accused of  date-raping a young girl. They turn a blind eye when their kids consume large qualities of alcohol, take designer drugs, shop and spend enormous sums on clothes, etc and then blame the society they created for their kids failures. The young boys are encouraged to join the military, but then the parents rant and blubber like babies when their kids are killed in some fucked war they themselves supported. But never say a word and are actually proud when their sons and daughters return alive and brag on them like some kind of hero, when in reality they are nothing more than obedient and government justified murderers. We live the lies that make our lives fruitlessly fulfilling, but totally wasteful.

The people are totally out of touch with themselves, the world around them and everything in between. Hell, they solve their parenting deficiencies by giving their kids credit cards at 13, birth control pills at 14 and a new car at 16. Thousands of children end up in trouble with the laws, hooked on drugs, as well as alcohol and some get pregnant. And the few kids, mostly poor, that do get jobs end up spending every earned dollar trying to be something their not. Splurging their money on designer jeans, latest cell phones, consistent boozing to impress other degenerates, they call friends. With the rest of their time spent on idle chit chat on their $200 cell phones or messaging each other on computers, browsing porn sites, playing video games and all of the other endless and readily available assortment of nonsensical items of sheer vanity? The really sad issue is they aren't responsible...they're just products of their society and their much to busy to be involved parents. The same parents that aren't even aware that they're terrible at being friends, neighbors, parents, teachers, employees and employers and even worst at being human. They live and die in a small cubicle of work, stress, traffic, junk food and occasional self indulged leisure and actually believe they have a life. After all they are all caught up in the so-called American dream. It's truly shameful!

Our governments have sold us out to their corporate brothers, while we blindly chase the fucking American dream...existing in a self contained maze of work, debt and stress, but then we can always turn to a long line of pharmaceuticals and loads of booze to make it all easier to bear. Still hanging onto their pride of having a heavily mortgaged house, that will never be paid off; their foreign car and numerous playthings, like a giant plasma TV, remote controlled lawn mower, golf clubs, boat, a motorcycle they seldom have the time to use. They just don't realize that their American dream lifestyle comes at a high price, not only in stress, but with undrinkable tap water, chemically polluted air, jammed highways, a junk food joint on every corner, out of control government, increasing taxes, more freedom depriving regulations. Not to mention a few million lunatics with guns, slum areas they're afraid to drive through even in daylight.

Then there's always the constant bullshit bombardment from news-bites from the puppet casters of CNN, Nightly News and all the rest of the brain dead morons blaring out the pre-approved rhetoric of strictly regulated information, in accordance to their FCC masters. (FCC, federally controlled communications.) We live and die up to our eyeballs in debt, but still can't afford to take a decent vacation...are consistently too stressed to enjoy a little romance with our spouses...constantly living in fear that our out of control kids might kill us if we don't succumb to their daily demands for unrestricted freedoms. Yes, we should all be proud of our robotic lives in our glass, plastic and concrete environment. But then again, you survive knowing that God will reward your worthless lives with everlasting peace in some floating spiritual heaven. And you're ignorant enough to continually live in fear actually believing that some  terrorists jealous of your lifestyle wants to destroy your screwed up way of live? Now that's hysterical !

In this so called modern society neighbors and co-workers don't even know each others names, much less get to know one another. Living in societies where it's more critical to correctly roll up your water hose than it is to be polite to others. Living in countries that can put you in jail for smoking a cigarette, much less a joint...for throwing down a piece of paper...while it's perfectly ok to dispose of millions of tons of daily waste in the ocean or buried in some virgin landfill. Living where they ban smoking but its perfectly permissible to pollute the very atmosphere of the planet with million of vehicles and factories spewing trillions of cubic meters of poison gases endangering our very existence. What...smoking a fucking cigarette is so bad, as to warrant so many restrictions? A land where degenerate woman wanting a baby may one day simply decide to invade a pregnant woman's home, kill her, cut out the fetus and take it home with her. A country that bans prostitution, but spends billions retaining their ludicrous gun laws, producing violent shows, movies and video games. Where men can be arrested for talking to female, which at times is a cop dressed as a hooker, but its ok to browse the web in search of even more extreme and disgusting porn.

To live in a country where you can be arrested for a friendly game of poker with your friends in your own home, but can legally walk into a billion dollar casino and lose everything you own in a matter of minutes. A country where you can go to prison for smoking marijuana, but can legally overdose on prescription drugs. A land where in every poor neighborhood there's a liquor and a gun store on every other corner and of course...a church at the end of the block for immediate and convenient redemption. Societies where self righteous men dignity their existence by going to church on Sunday, but masturbate to images of young girls on their favorite porn sites. These same men group together with the same-minded drinking buddies at their local bars to get plastered and scream like childish morons while watching a fucking football game and yet have no time to get involved with the issues destroying their world...nor the time to devote to their wives and kids. They have no concept that they are responsible for raising their children, while teaching them things of some value. Yeah...great examples of the American lifestyle, which unfortunately is spreading around the globe. Is such a cultureless society worth preserving??? Don't forget to stock up on plastic sheeting and duct tape your house for the next Anthrax alert....if not... your patriotism will be in doubt!!!

Personally I was raised and educated in nature, hiking, fishing, exploring, playing with my friends and dogs, swimming in the creeks, star gazing and just being a kid. When we did watch TV we tuned in to bloodless TV shows like Lost in Space, Gilligan's Island, Bewitched, the Andy Griffin show and so on. Today the kids cut their teeth on computer porn, sexual videos from MTV, violent shows of cops, forensics, murder, mayhem, violent shootouts where guns and murder are glorified. Mothers feeding them junk food and watching daily soaps that go on for generations. And let's not forget their music; disgusting black rap and hip-hop about whores, guns, murder and easy money and other ghetto crap blasting from stereos, Ipods, TV's and countless other gadgets.

Think about it for a minute...being raised and living in the sick societies of America and western style societies "just what the hell do you expect from the people, especially the kids? Living where honking the horn at someone can get you killed is definitely not where I want to live and especially not where I would want to raise my kids. America...the land of the free and the home of the brave, yeah, but only if their overwhelmingly armed to the teeth with the ability to fight the war at a distant. A country where traffic laws are enforced, but robbery, murder and mayhem are common...even more than a family going out for dinner together. Then there's the macho cops hiding behind every bush waiting to pull you over for going 5 miles over some ridiculously low speed limit. They are empowered to not only give you a $100 dollar ticket for speeding, but a couple of hundred dollar fine for not properly wearing your seatbelt, etc. but the loaded gun on your seat goes unmentioned. Just one of thousands of our American warped concept of selective freedom.

It's simply because we, as good ole Americans, have the right to shoot and kill another human being for whatever reason we believe is necessary. As that traffic citations generate a hell of a lot of money for our screwed up judicial system we don't have the right to break an unrealistic traffic law without severe reprimand? And as for being brave...even after getting the damn ticket we're so intimidated by the Gestapo looking cop that we whine feeble apologies for breaking some petty traffic law. "Sorry for speeding and please excuse me officer for not wearing my seat beat and thank you for being concerned for my safety"...and then there's our bumper stickers proclaiming "God bless our troops over there in Iraq." Now if we only knew where the fuck Iraq was located. Shouldn't we at least be obligated in learning how to spell the name of the country we're destroying? Hey people...we've fallaciously declared war on those poor people...please...give a damn!

And is this, our American lifestyle, what we're fighting and dying for? What we're pushing down the throats of others around the world? Our fucked up culture of bigotry, racial despise, hated, impatience, intolerable treatment of others, as well as animals and the world in general, along with our malcontent, greed, cruelty, and our philosophy of "God loves me because I'm a white Christian" bullshit. Add  your self-righteous asshole attitude that gives you the absolute right to kill someone for stealing some over-priced clothes at a boutique or walking on your yard. This is what you're protecting? A right to carry concealed guns and the absolute right to shoot someone for pissing you off?  That is not freedom...it's mayhem. Freedom is having the right and obligation to keep your government in check...having the right to not roll up your fucking water hose, the right to sit on your porch or in the park and drink a beer or smoke a cigarette. Freedom is the right to walk you dog at 3:Am without fear of getting mugged or shot by a paranoid cop. Freedom is having the right to be gay or an Atheist without persecution. If I remember my history correctly...isn't escaping religious bigotry and micro-control of our everyday lives by self appointed masters just some of the reasons we left Europe so long ago?

Am I angry about our actions in Vietnam and now in Afghanistan and Iraq? You god damn right! I remain mad and totally pissed off at the cowardly people of this world. The planet's bathed in dictators, starvation, filth, pollution, war, murder, torture, global insanity and just total chaos. These issues should have a tendency to really piss everyone off...after all it's also your world being destroyed.

What does the American people owe to Vietnam and to the rest of the world? We owe our respect, our tolerance and a share of our wealth...after all most of it was stolen from other lands and people. Americans can never replace the things destroyed in the Vietnam war, but they can put down their beer, flip off their TVs, park their SUVs, and if they can not visit this amazingly beautiful country and befriend these gracious, welcoming and loving people, at least learn the truths of who we are and what harm we have done to them and the rest of the world. Having traveled the globe, and having lived in and throughout Vietnam, as well as SE Asia, I can say positively that they these people do not hate us...they have forgiven us! In all my years in Vietnam I did not came across one person that mistreated me or that was rude or mentioned anything about the past war...not once! Everyone from 'small children to old ladies' welcomed and greeted me with honest friendliness. People just walking by while going on with their busy lives were always quick with a smile.

If you can visit Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos, as well as Malaysia and China, I promise you will learn to open your eyes and your hearts, as well as have the time of your life. Spend some time and a little money in letting the world know that we're not all monsters. In all of Asia, especially SE Asia, you'll never visit a more phenomenal region where "culture and ancient civilizations inspire, mesmerize and instill genuine tranquility and true peace of spirit. Where good-times, divine dining, bargain shopping and unimaginable experiences are an everyday occurrence. Vietnam and Thailand are framed with white sand beaches, hundreds of islands, superb diving, deep sea fishing, jungle trekking on elephants and endless adventures are abound in the entire region. Beauty and adventure await at every turn...from the cities to the serene lifestyles of hidden villages.

Enjoy their museums, culture centers, temples, theaters and endless dining experiences on every corner, as well as great nightlife, cheap accommodations & transportation, along with an unimaginative foray of unforgettable people. Vietnam, where you can ride a train from Hanoi in the far north to Saigon in the far south for approximately $60 US dollars, or ride an air-conditioned taxi entirely across Saigon for 3 dollars. Or you can pump up your adrenalin with a one US dollar thrilling ride on the back of a scooter taxi...hanging on for life as the experienced driver swaggers through packed traffic as effortlessly as a bird through air. In addition to all the above; SE Asia and especially Vietnam have the most stunningly beautiful women on the planet. From the south beaches of Thailand to the mountains of Laos, to the ancient ruins of Cambodia's Angkor Wat, they are all home to the most welcoming people. Everywhere I wandered I was relaxed, entertained, amazed and welcomed as family. They live their life's as free people and are in harmony with each other, their land, and unlike most of the so called civilized world...their beaches and oceans are for everyone. And no...I'm not paid to write this editorial or to promote SE Asia or Vietnam or anywhere else...these are my words, my opinions and my feelings.

One more comment...please remember that when traveling the world; it can be very rewarding, but it is not your playground nor your backyard, so show respect where ever you wander! And keep in mind that if you're not part of the solution in saving our world...then you are definitely a part of the problem!

Click here for more USA-Vietnam War information and graphic photos;
(Part 2)

Also read our; Global Reviews & Articles of Interest

Editorial written by; Michael Smith
Sept. 2007. Updated April 2008.
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Visas: Obtaining a visa is easy and quick, but must be done before arrival. Extensions are also quite easy and can be purchased at most tourism agencies..
Health risks: Dengue fever, hepatitis, malaria, rabies, typhoid, tuberculosis and a minor threat (especially to pregnant women) of dioxins found in the defoliant Agent Orange. Vietnam, while not as bad as most of Asia, suffers fro water and air pollution. We also advise against rent or operating any vehicle while anywhere in Asia, especially in Vietnam. The traffic is maddening and extreme and no one gives right away to anyone or anything.

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