The Morning Joe had as guests this morning Marvin and Deborah Kalb to discuss their new book, “Haunting Legacy Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford To Obama”. Kolb says that Vietnam affects the decision making of all Presidents when they go to war. “How do they begin to think about an exit strategy, and how do they begin to think about a clear mission statement.” These thoughts have never come to a President prior to Vietnam? Kolb thinks that “Vietnam has haunted Obama perhaps more than any other President, because Obama was 13 years old when the war ended.” It seems Obama wasn’t paying much attention to this issue at 13 because he didn’t learn anything. He has tripled the troops in Afghanistan. Kolb explains that “Vietnam represents a lost war”, and Presidents associated with lost wars lose elections so, therefore; Obama wants to win Afghanistan. Maybe a little history into the wars in Afghanistan would have better served Obama. Does anyone ever win there? I think it would be more correctly assumed that war is what haunts Presidents, not just any particular one. America’s history is filled with wars and Vietnam is not special in that respect. It just works in the Kolb’s little story line. Their assumption that Vietnam haunts President Obama so much is based in their adoration of Obama. He is perfect, therefore; he thinks in such logical ways. But if he was so perfect we wouldn’t be fighting in such a useless hellhole as Afghanistan. How has Vietnam helped Obama establish his mission statement, or his clear exit strategy? He has neither at this point in the game, so I call bullshit on this one.
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