Speech #920314534

The war in Indochina has become Richard Nixons war. Elected on a pledge to end it. the administration has acted to perpetuate it. at an enormous cost to the American and Indochinese peoples. Since Nixon took office in January 1969. over 41/2 million Indochinese civilians have been killed. wounded. or made refugees. Since Nixon took office. the war has cost more than $59 billion. more than 20.000 dead Americans. more than 110.000 wounded Americans. and well over 200 captured or missing Americans who were alive and well in January. 1969. In spite of all the promises. 165.000 South Vietnamese civilians have been killed under Richard Nixons policies. 410.000 have been wounded. and 1.855.000 have been made refugees. The South Vietnamese people have continued to survive by dealing in opium. heroin. or the black market. by pimping and prostitution. by "joining" the army or by begging in the streets. Since Mr. Nixon ascended the great marble steps of the White House. nearly 1.5 million combatants have been killed or wounded. over 3.7 million tons of bombs have been dropped. more than by any other President in history. and the wholesale devastation of four Indochinese countries and the creation of a nation of refugees in Vietnam has continued. By universal agreement. the war has been the chief stimulant for the runaway inflation that has plagued the economy since the mid 1960s. and added $450 to the average familys grocery bill since January 1969. Under the Nixon administration. the amount of heroin entering the United States from the operations of the ruling elites of Laos.