Battleangel

Vietnam commemorates 30 years since “the American War” ended today. A bitter commemoration for everyone involved even though fireworks and festivities usually try to cover up the fact in modern day Vietnam. In the United States, the lessons learned are all but forgotten and the anniversary is getting a brief and rather uncharismatic coverage. Most just want to forget and move on.

According to the statistics available, as many as 4 million Vietnamese and nearly 60,000 Americans died in conflict. Not counting of course the losses in Laos and Cambodia.

The only lesson really worth remembering is the abuse of power and the futility of war. Engineering nations and using “domino theories” for imperial power play is a nightmare far worse than anyone could imagine.

Vietnam in the news:
Guardian: General: Vietnam Remains a Poor Country
IHT: A correspondent revisits the fall of Saigon
MSNBC: Reflections on Vietnam, 30 years later
BBC: Vietnam prepares for anniversary
Australian: Editorial: Time to take a sober second look at Vietnam