W. Niederhut Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 14 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said: It may have been both, but I would go with Number One. See, one of the major themes of Halberstam's book is that somehow, Vietnam was an unavoidable tragedy, like the Civil War. And that only people hidden in the lower rungs like John McNaughton, were resisting this trail of disaster. That is a false paradigm. But if Halberstam did then show what NSAM 263 was about, and how it was changed by 273 and then reversed by 288, he would not have a book. Or at least the book he wanted to write and made him rich. Another part of the story he misses is just how bad LBJ was on the war in 1965-66. When Humphrey wrote a memo saying we did not need to escalate, LBJ ostracized him from any future meetings on the war. Humphrey took it back and then when RFK proposed a peace plan in 1966, Humphrey attacked him. When Fulbright stated his gripping senate hearings on the war, LBJ used the FBI to surveil him for communist influences. You will not find those in Halberstam's book either. So, was LBJ's misguided commitment to escalating the war the result of a quid pro quo agreement with the men who conspired to kill JFK? If so, he and the conspirators would have had a very good reason to falsify the history of NSAM 263, JFK, Galbraith, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I don't really have a position on that one. If Joe McBride is lurking, that may be his position. At least in some talks I had with him he has insinuated that. But its certainly a plausible position off that statement made by LBJ to the JCS, just get me elected and I will give you your war. Stone had that in his film and its from Stanley Karnow's book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 LBJ may have been stymied from consideration of nuclear weapons at Khe Sanh by the press and foreign opinion but he'd already been the final authority to sign off on operation rolling thunder. https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/operation-rolling-thunder https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=operation+rolling+thunder&view=detail&mid=6B3F7AD9F0B1C858E4636B3F7AD9F0B1C858E463&FORM=VIRE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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