From: Jeff Davis (jrd1415@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Aug 28 2002 - 15:41:26 MDT
Extropes,
Lee Corbin is quoted thusly:
> Lee: "[The US bombing of Vietnam (1 million
> killed)]... is entirely false.
> This is the sort of leftist lie that we need to
> completely expunge.
>
> Lee: "While North Vietnamese *military* losses to
> American and South
> Vietnamese forces are about indeed about one
> million, as for evil, ponder
> this: "In the first two years after the fall of
> Saigon (1975-1977), there
> were almost twice as many total *civilian*
> fatalities in Southeast
> Asia---from the Cambodian holocaust, outright
> executions, horrendous
> conditions in concentration camps, and failed
> escapes by refugees---as all
> those incurred during ten years of major American
> involvement (1965-74)", p.
> 425, "Carnage and Culture", by Victor Davis Hanson.
> Note the contrast
> between "two" years and "ten" years."
I managed to control myself and avoid replying to this
'material' the first time Lee posted it:
U.S. "Atrocities"---the figures (was Obedience to Law)
http://www.extropy.org/exi-lists/extropians/1776.html
But averting my eyes and walking upwind hasn't worked,
for once again it appears, to assault and insult.
It is a perfect example of the kind of problem spike
has been discussing regarding the accuracy of
historical accounts. Lee's and Victor Hanson's views
are strikingly at odds with the truth regarding the
events of the Vietnam era. One need look no further
than this quote:
> This is the sort of leftist lie that we need to
> completely expunge.
to identify the bias which produces this mythology.
I won't bother to go into detail to respond to this
'stuff'--it's too wide, too deep, too twisted, is old
news, and, in the end, my experience suggests that no
one will hear or accept anything other than what they
want to. Ah, well.
I have above suggested that there is (something
suitable to be called) truth in this matter. It is
not for me to (neither possible nor desirable to) make
this judgment for anyone other than myself. But I
will suggest a method for you to seek the truth, if
that's something you're interested in (in this matter
or any other). This method has at least the advantage
that it is not a Jeff Davis invention, but rather has
a time-tested and honored history. It is found in
that arena where finding the truth is considered to be
of the utmost social importance. It is found in the
law, in court proceedings, in what is viewed as the
most serious of pursuits, the pursuit of justice.
It's called the adversarial system. But put in its
simplest terms, it's where you accept the existence of
and FAIRLY CONSIDER the several sides to a story, and
the supporting evidence, and then make your judgment.
In the matter of Vietnam, the other side of the story
has been thoroughly laid out by Chomsky. (I know this
isn't pleasant news--cf the old truism,"The truth
hurts", but bear in mind that if you're perfectly
content with just one side of the story, then the
person you see in the mirror is someone who has no
interest in the truth.)
As for Victor Davis Hanson, and his "Carnage and
Culture", I refer you to reasononline's article/review
at:
http://www.reason.com/0204/cr.cb.torturing.shtml
entitled:
Torturing History
A military historian abuses the past.
Best, Jeff Davis
"During times of universal deceit, telling the
truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell
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