Jane Fonda: From Vietnam to Iraq

Jane Fonda was back in the public eye at the Peace March in Washington, DC yesterday. For those of you too young to remember, you might like to read about her famous career from a nice, neutral news source, like, say Al-Jazeera, which you can do by clicking here.

When the US left Vietnam, they did so in a hurry, and Orders went out from the invading North to kill all South Vietnamese officers, including their wives down to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Cambodia then got busy killing its enemies, including burying many alive up to their heads in sand, resulting in an unusually gruesome death. No one really knows how many died after the US left, but counting in the millions is probably about right.

Of course, at the fall of Vietnam all Western news sources disappeared, so much of this was hidden from the public view.

Vietnam was an extremely different type of war, and comparing it to the situation in Iraq isn't very helpful, except when it comes to analyzing the anti-war movement and in anticipating another bloodbath which could easily follow too hasty American withdrawal.

The Democrats seem to be willing to spend some time discussing making some benchmarks and goals for Iraq before we bring home the troops, and I hope they get serious about that. Talk that the Iraqui people don't want Democracy is stupid; they have voted and voted and voted in ever greater numbers for Democracy. They now need the goal, the tools, the will, the resolve, the hope that civil order can be imposed on their country. That is absolutely essential, for Democracy, and every American should make a firm resolve that this is the right and proper course of action before we leave.

Above, right, is a photo of the last helicopter (or one of the last helicopters) leaving from the roof of the American Embassy in Vietnam. While the terrible loss of life in the aftermath of US departure was not subject to much jouralistic coverage, we owe more to Iraq and more to ourselves than letting wholesale killing take place when we depart.

The old folks, who marched for peace in the Vietnam era, can't forget the incredible fun of their early days of activism. Fueled by good music, good dope, and good lovin' in the pre-AIDS era, there is a nostalgia that draws them again and again to the movement of their youth. Their stories have led yet another generation to try to recreate the good times taking place in the US while soldiers suffered abroad.

Jane Fonda is now 69 years old. The easy life she has led makes her look much younger. While news reports state that she appologized for her action in Vietnam, the truth is that she only appologized for having a photo taken that made it look like she was shooting down US planes. She is not a patriot, and many would think that she is indirectly responsible for as many deaths as Saddam Hussein himelf.

Note on the photos: The top photo is a famous photo showing Jane Fonda atop an ANV tank. The ANV killed over 40,000 Americans in Vietnam. The second picture is a photo of the lucky people who were able to be helicoptered out of Vietnam by the US embassy when America withdrew its troops. Thousands of Vietnamese tried to enter the American embassy at that time, desperately seeking to leave the country. It is likely that most were killed by the ANV. The third photo is a poster advertising Woodstock, the famous rock concert.