Gunnar Myrdal. in his monumental study of Southeast Asia. "Asian Drama." points out that we got into Vietnam originally because we sensed that communism would fill the power vacuum left by French withdrawal. and that we believed we could show the Vietnamese a better way than communism. We claimed to be the defenders of freedom. honoring our commitment to support a free nation against aggression from within and without. That is a generous interpretation of our initial involvement. But now. as we look at what our presence has in fact accomplished over this last decade. as we considerThe bombedout and devastated villages. The millions of refugees (nearly onethird of the population of Vietnam. Laos and Cambodia). The staggering number of civilian casualties.
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