Vietnam 2 Preflight Check

["Martin Spellman" <mspellman@xxxxxxxxx>]

These came from Charlie Stough's Burned Out Newspapers Guild (BONG) Bulletin
News Gorilla http://newsgorilla.blogspot.com

A periodical about the news business -- working in it, reading it, defending
it, criticizing it, getting dumped on by it, living it.

MAKING INTERNET ROUNDS. This is the Vietnam 2 Preflight Check.
1. Cabal of oldsters who won't listen to outside advice? Check.
2. No understanding of ethnicities of the many locals? Check.
3. National boundaries drawn in Europe, not by the locals? Check.
4. Unshakable faith in our superior technology? Check.
5. France secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
6. Russia secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
7. China secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
8. SecDef pushing a conflict the JCS never wanted? Check.
9. Fear we'll look bad if we back down now? Check.
10. Corrupt Texan in the WH? Check.
11. Land war in Asia? Check.
12. Rightists unhappy with outcome of previous war? Check.
13. Enemy easily moves in/out of neighboring countries? Check.
14. Soldiers about to be dosed with our own chemicals? Check.
15. Friendly fire problem ignored instead of solved? Check.
16. Anti-Americanism up sharply in Europe? Check.
17. B-52 bombers? Check.
18. Helicopters that clog up on the local dust? Check.
19. Infighting among the branches of the military? Check.
20. Locals that cheer us by day, hate us by night? Check.
21. Local experts ignored? Check.
22. Local politicians ignored? Check.
23. Local conflicts since before the USA has been a country? Check.
24. Against advice, Prez won't raise taxes to pay for war? Check.
25. Blue water navy ships operating in brown water? Check.
26. Use of nukes hinted at if things don't go our way? Check.
27. Unpopular war? Check.
Vietnam II, you are cleared to taxi.

ALSO ON THE INTERNET. You know the world is going crazy when the best
rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the Swiss hold
the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, and Germany
doesn't want to go to war.



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