"Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon?"
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
    • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street >
      • Arrival and First Impressions
      • First Week
      • Training
      • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Tempo of the City
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
  • 1984 - 1986
    • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
    • Having a go: SDU
    • Starting a Chernobyl family
    • EOD - Don't touch anything
    • Semen Stains and the rules
  • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go?
    • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
    • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
    • 600 Happy Meals Please!
    • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
    • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Falling Crime Rates - Why?
    • Triads
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • The Long Read
    • How The Walls Come Down
    • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
    • The Hidden Leader
    • The Big Game
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
    • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street >
      • Arrival and First Impressions
      • First Week
      • Training
      • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Tempo of the City
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
  • 1984 - 1986
    • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
    • Having a go: SDU
    • Starting a Chernobyl family
    • EOD - Don't touch anything
    • Semen Stains and the rules
  • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go?
    • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
    • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
    • 600 Happy Meals Please!
    • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
    • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Falling Crime Rates - Why?
    • Triads
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • The Long Read
    • How The Walls Come Down
    • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
    • The Hidden Leader
    • The Big Game
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Walter's Blog

"But how can you live and have no story to tell?" Fyodor Dostoevsky
Picture
Reflections on recent events, plus the occasional fact free rant unfiltered by rational argument. 

"If you want to read a blog to get a sense of what is going on in Hong Kong these days or a blog that would tell you wh at life was like living in colonial Hong Kong, this blog, WALTER'S BLOG, fits the bill."  Hong Kong Blog Review

8/12/2021 2 Comments

An Orgy of Deceit

Picture
"Executing captured enemy fighters in front of the media is never a good look when you wish to portray yourself as the good guys."
Max Hastings's book, 'Vietnam - An Epic History of a Tragic War' exposes an intoxicating mix of smoke and mirrors, coupled with the sheer doggedness of the North Vietnamese. His account of the war blends all the political and military narratives, telling the painful tale through the eyes of both sides.

This recent history fascinates because the bow wave of the war rocked Hong Kong for decades as refugees fled. First published in 2018, I've just completed the book that uncovers many uncomfortable facts that leave no side untouched.

Described as "His best work yet", the author pulls no punches. He is critical of both the North and South regimes, but especially the self-deception at the highest levels of the American government.

If you have the stomach for it, Hastings provides an inventory of this historic atrocity including the 12 million gallons of lethal toxins sprayed by the Americans on the Vietnamese and US troops. These dioxins disguised by the softer name ‘Agent Orange’ linger to this day, poisoning the earth and people.

We get a full account of a relentless orgy of deceit, as President Nixon lied to his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger about bombing Hanoi. Then, in turn, Kissinger lied to the Russians, the Chinese, the North and South Vietnamese. Meanwhile, the North Vietnamese lied to the US and everybody they dealt with.

Much of the history is well-worn ground. Yet Hastings manages to surface rich detail exposing the falsehoods, duplicity and delusions that shaped the war. For starters, we have the distortion of the events in the Gulf of Tonkin on 2nd and 4th August 1964, when the American public was told that North Vietnamese forces conducted sustained attacks on a US vessel. All untrue.

Then, using this embellished incident as an excuse, President Johnson committed more US forces in a marked escalation of the war.

As the story unfolds, self-interest dominates each side's actions to exclude rational assessments. President Nixon's deal to withdraw, extracting the US from the war, came driven by one factor — his 1972 reelection chances. The deaths of US troops or Vietnamese civilians had no bearing.

Much earlier, by late 1966, American experts concluded that the US was unlikely to win. Yet President Johnson and then Nixon kept adding to the pile of bodies until 1975. In the process, they drew innocent Cambodians and Laotians into their destructive game. As a consequence, both nations plunged into years of chaos.

When you strip away all the guff and get to the core of the issue, the North Vietnamese had the will to keep fighting despite losing most battles. Moreover, the vast, sophisticated US war machine had only a marginal impact on the outcome.

Secretary for Defence McNamara's use of calculations in pursuit of industrialised warfare, his kill rates, statistical models and application of 'business practices' counted for nothing against the tenacity of fighters in rubber sandals with AK47s.

Sure the Americans and their allies could defeat the enemy on the field of battle, but that's not the point. When the other side doesn't surrender, you can't pretend you've won.

McNamara, a disillusioned man, exited the stage before the final act. He resigned in 1968, going to head the World Bank, where he somewhat atoned for his sins by shifting the Bank's work towards poverty alleviation.

In the end, the North Vietnamese won the public relations battle, with the 1968 Tet offensive the pivotal moment. For months General Westmoreland and President Johnson assured the American people that victory was in sight. Then, on 30 January 1968, the Viet Cong, supported by North Vietnamese regulars, struck targets across the country during Tet.

This audacious attack struck 100 towns and cities, including provincial capitals and Saigon. Airfields, military bases, police and government buildings all came under assault.

In Hue, a month-long battle raged, while in Saigon, Viet Cong commandoes stormed parts of the US embassy compound. A US Marine captain, Mike Downs, recalls, "We didn't know where the enemy was, in which direction even." Much of this played out live on US news channels, destroying the myth that the Americans were winning.

Yet, in truth, the Tet offensive proved a military disaster for the North Vietnamese as they suffered huge losses of men and equipment. Their ability to sustain the struggle was now in doubt.

Perhaps not fully appreciated by the North at the time, they'd scored a significant victory by undermining US public support for the war. The incredible rose-tinted reports assuring the American people that the enemy was only capable of small ambushes no longer had traction.

Moreover, executing captured enemy fighters in front of the media is never a good look when you wish to portray yourself as the good guys. Although, neither side had a monopoly on atrocities.

Johnson soon announced he'd not be standing for reelection. Then Westmoreland moved on. And by 1969, Nixon was in office. Eventually, Nixon did a deal to pull out that had the South Vietnamese assume responsibility for holding the North at bay. Just one problem, the US negotiated that deal without consulting their supposed ally in South Vietnam.

Over-confident assessments claimed the South Vietnamese forces would hold out. And in fairness, several units did sterling work. Then once the North Vietnamese realised the South could no longer call on US airpower, the rout started. In no time, the triumphant North Vietnamese rolled into Saigon.

That sounds familiar — the parallels with recent events in Afghanistan are uncanny. Inflated reports of military success, secret deals and then a quick clumsy withdrawal.

That is not the only coincidence. In recent times we've seen dodgy dossiers used to manufacture consent for the war in Iraq. Joining this is Colin Powell feeding falsehoods to the world in the UN chamber. Add to that a 'them and us' attitude that takes no account of the world's complexities.

Hastings concludes the book with a quote from US Marine General Walter Eugene Boomer, "What was it all about? It bothers me we didn't learn a lot. If we had, we would not have invaded Iraq". Well, indeed. Except he should reference the leaked Pentagon Papers.

President Johnson stated that the Vietnam War aimed to secure an "independent, non-Communist South Vietnam". However, the Pentagon Papers told a different story. In a January 1965 memorandum by Assistant Secretary of Defense John McNaughton, the justification was "not to help a friend, but to contain China".

The book contains many equivalent chilling episodes. But, for me, the most startling occurred in October 1972, as Kissinger stood before the South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu. "The US will never sacrifice a trusted friend", he assured the South Vietnamese leader.

Two days later, back in Washington, he told staffers in the White House, "I have only one desire — to turn the Vietnamese loose on each other."

Today Vietnam is a prosperous modern place. I've visited several times, taking the compulsory tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels — a Disneyfied version of the deprivations suffered by the Viet Cong fighters.

Modern Vietnamese are upbeat and engaged with the world, while Ho Chi Minh city (the former Saigon) is glitzy. As Hastings observes, "Where the US armed forces failed with B-52s, defoliants and Spooky gunships, YouTube and Johnny Depp have proven irresistible."

And this returns us to a crucial point. If allowed to work by osmosis, culture is a powerful tool. If nothing else, the aftermath of the war taught us that.
2 Comments
Chris Emmett
9/12/2021 11:57:32 pm

As usual, fascinating stuff from Walter. The film, ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ did a convincing job of recreating Hue during the Tet offensive. It was shot on location in the ruins of the London docklands area, which at the time was undergoing major redevelopment.

Reply
David Fernyhough
10/12/2021 11:29:13 am

Nice summation. Nothing has changed. The US continues to try to manufacture excuses for overseas aggression with China now firmly in their sights. While the US consistently fails to learn from history, China does and they have the patience to play the long game. The outrageous lies the US and their propaganda arm (the mainstream media) are currently sowing are deliberately provocative and, having failed in HK, Taiwan is now the battleground of choice. That is playing with fire. The US well knows Taiwan is one issue sure to rankle China. The current strategy of political and economic isolation is just the start. China has many problems and faults, but none as egregious as the harm caused by hypocritical US foreign policy. If they had to fight the wars they start on their own soil, perhaps they’d think twice, but the hide behind their long-arm military and proxy states. Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Australia should be very wary of aligning themselves with this US led aggression. The Netflix documentary “The Line” about war crimes committed by US special forces in Iraq is a bleak reminder of the racist, hypocritical state of US foreign policy. China wants to assume her place in the world, but would be well counseled to continue with her long game and not be provoked, no matter how hard the US tries.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Walter De Havilland was one of the last of the colonial coppers. He served 35 years in the Royal Hong Kong Police and Hong Kong Police Force. He's long retired. 

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

Home

Introduction

Contact Walter

Copyright © 2015