Did JFK want to stop the war in Vietnam?

Discussion in 'JFK' started by Scott, Jan 19, 2025.

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  1. Scott

    Scott Well-Known Member

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    At the 28:15 time mark of this video it's said that Kennedy secretly wanted to discontinue US involvement in Vietnam.
    https://avalonlibrary.net/Evidence_... Of It, All Referenced To Vietnam And LBJ.mp4

    Of course there are other sources that say different things.
    http://www.politicalforum.com/index...ud-of-their-candidate.619609/#post-1074869467

    Chomsky Weighs in on Kennedy Assassination Anniversary: “It Would Impress Kim Il-Sung”
    https://chomsky.info/20131122/


    According to the top video he was secretly planning to stop the war during his second term but he couldn't let that show during his first term. During his first term he was just doing what any president would have done – obeying the instructions of the deep state.


    All we have is second-hand info so I haven't formed a firm opinion on this. I'm just posting it so that it can be discussed.

    Here's some background info.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    https://www.pinkyshow.org/projectarchives/videos/the-american-war-the-us-in-vietnam

    The Pinky Show Vietnam
    https://www.bing.com/search?q=the+pinky+show+vietnam&FORM=HDRSC1

    http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/american-imperialism.371897/

    Do a page search on the word "Vietnam" here.
    https://1motorcyclist.wordpress.com.../03/noam-chomsky-2011-how-the-world-works.pdf
     
  2. Betamax101

    Betamax101 Banned

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    What's to discuss? Was he hoping to stop it, almost certainly. Was he being stopped by pressure from wealth, corporation etc.? Maybe.

    So what?
     
  3. bigfella

    bigfella Well-Known Member

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    The fact that Chomsky is cited as a source here tells you all you need to know about the OP and the discussion. Chomsky openly cheered for communists to take over South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and propagandized to that end. He has been an unreliable source on the conflict since the 1960s. People who want to uncritically accept the claims of Khmer Rouge supporters lay bare their own agendas.

    No US President wanted to be involved in Vietnam - Kennedy, Johnson or Nixon. All took actions based on what they felt necessary for geopolitical and domestic political reasons.

    Had he lived Kennedy would have been faced with letting a US ally fall to communism in an election year. Anyone who claims he would have just done this is a fool or a liar. What might have happened after 1964 is anyone's guess. Perhaps not what did happen, but not for the reasons the conspiracy morons think. Most of the people advising LBJ were the same ones who advised Kennedy.

    Anyway, this thread was never designed to be an informed discussion on the Vietnam War.
     
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  4. Scott

    Scott Well-Known Member

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    Please link to your sources.


    Here's some more non-mainstream background info on Vietnam for the viewers to check out. Most of it is consistent with what Chomsky says.
    https://www.bing.com/search?q=third...1E544F4D7CBC3DDCF664A38816&first=1&FORM=PQRE1

    It's important to know the real reasons for the US government's interest in Vietnam. We have to make sure we're basing our opinions on the real info.

    “If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
    ― Malcolm X
     
  5. philosophical

    philosophical Well-Known Member

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    He should have prevented war, because in the end the poorest country in the world thrashed the richest.
     
  6. perotista

    perotista Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No. Eisenhower had told JFK the key to Southeast Asia was Laos and advised him accordingly. IKE thought Vietnam was more of a civil war and twice refused to get the U.S. involved there. But he did send troops, advisors, logistics etc. to the Royal Government of Laos as IKE viewed Laos as being invaded by North Vietnam which it was. The North Vietnamese did most of the fighting in Laos against the Royal Lao government until Laos fell to the communist in 1975. We had many more troops in Laos under Ike than Vietnam. But Laos was a landlocked country, JFK ignored IKE and decided to make his stand in Vietnam as Vietnam with its long coastline would be easier to supply the troops. Troop strength in South Vietnam from 1960-64.


    1960 890 US Military, IKE’s last year

    1961 3,205 US MILITARY

    1962 11,300 US MILITARY MACV established

    1963 16,700 US MILITARY

    1964 23,300 US MILITARY MAAG-Vietnam disbanded, MACV Absorbs all its functions


    JFK upped U.S. troop strength from 890 to 16,700. But more importantly is the establishment of MACV. MAAG which was previously in Vietnam is usually commanded by a Colonel or one-star general with the capabilities of supporting less than one thousand troops. MACV went to a four-star general with the capabilities of supporting any number of troops which ended up being over five hundred thousand under LBJ. This change in command structure for me is the key as to whether JFK wanted to get out of Vietnam or was laying the groundwork for a big expansion of U.S. forces.


    There was no thought given to JFK wanting to get out of Vietnam until McNamara’s book came out after JFK’s death along with McNamara leaving the LBJ administration. That was a new revelation. It should also be noted LBJ continued JFK’s policies in Vietnam as he did in many other areas. But people will believe what they want to believe. There’s no changing that. As for me, I’m satisfied that JFK didn’t have any plans nor want to get out of Vietnam. The clincher is changing the command structure in order to support a huge influx of troops back in 1962. If JFK wanted out, he would have done that.
     
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  7. Scott

    Scott Well-Known Member

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    Please show us your source.
     
  8. Betamax101

    Betamax101 Banned

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  9. Scott

    Scott Well-Known Member

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  10. Betamax101

    Betamax101 Banned

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    What?
    Why?
    There's an interactive viewer on the page! Or you can download and browse the briefings as jpegs. There's only 52 pages to go through. It mentions Laos numerous times.

    Secretarial notes:

    Historical Documents - Office of the Historian
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2025
  11. Scott

    Scott Well-Known Member

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    If that's perotista's source, he knows exactly where it is. I'll be waiting.
     
  12. Betamax101

    Betamax101 Banned

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    Yeah sure, the internet is so difficult to actually find things huh?
     

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