“Vietnam” is both a country & shorthand for U.S. military actions in Southeast Asia, from before 8/2/65 [FN1] to after 4/29/75. [FN2] As more people protested the “war” [FN3] other causes had victories, including women’s rights, civil rights and a cleaner environment. 1/10

Nixon was elected Pres in 1968 w/false promise of a “secret” plan for “peace with honor.” [FN4] Nixon resigned 8/9/74 & the last chopper lifted off the U.S. embassy 04/29/75. Pres Carter won the WH in 1976. In 1979, he said the US had a crisis of confidence. [FN5] 2/10

Finally, Reagan campaigned reminiscing of bygone years. That brought to an end the period of our approaching greatness. Great victories won by the people of this country - bringing warfare we took to Vietnam to an end. During trial of the Chicago 7 [FN6] Abbie Hoffman, one 3/10

of the defendants, laughed at the notion of a conspiracy amongst the group because “we couldn’t agree on lunch.” Perhaps the reason wedge issues have been effective as strategy by elements of the far right/magaGOP because there has been no evil all could join together to fight. 4/10

We have that evil in trump, his toadies, and the anonymous donors of “dark money.” They seek to destroy our democracy. They cannot legitimately claim the country was great when racism was part of the law, women could not vote, and workers were at employers’ mercy. 5/10

We have to act now to stop a dictatorship put into office, once more, by collusion w/Russia. The task won’t be easy. trump has marching orders to destroy our country. There will be no elections in 2026. A nationwide strike is perhaps our only means of saving this country. 6/10

Footnotes:
FN1. Date of “the Tonkin Gulf incident”; North Vietnamese torpedo boats were alleged to have attacked the U.S.S. Maddox in int’l waters. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Pub. L. 88–408, 78 Stat. 384, enacted August 10, 1964, gave Pres Johnson authority to respond. 7/10

Footnotes:
FN2. Date of the “last helicopter” evacuating people from the U.S. embassy in Saigon.
FN3. A declaration of war neither was presented to, nor passed by, Congress, as required by the Constitution. Const. Art. I sec 8. 8/10

Footnotes:
FN4. Sperling, Godfrey, “Nixon's 'Secret Plan' That Never Was,” Christian Science Monitor, 12/09/97, accessed 01/24/25.
FN5. “[A] Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests.” Pres Carter, 07/15/79. 9/10

Footnotes:
FN6. U.S. v Dellinger, et al, was prosecution of eight, then seven leaders of protests at the Democratic Nat’l Convention in Chicago in 1968. 10/10