ETHICS

 Our involvement in Vietnam couldn’t be ethically justified by any stretch of the imagination, then or now. After WWII US supported the reestablishment of French colonial rule in Vietnam, over the objection of the Viennese people. It was a popular uprising of Viennese that defeated the French. Peace talks held in 1954 at the Geneva Conference, the US was invited but refuse to participate in any way except as an observer. The Compromise that was agreed to avowed Vietnam would be neutral and the Vietnihm, the rebels who defeated the French, would has control North of the 17^th parallel.  France would stay no longer than 1956 in the South when elections will be held to reunite all of Vietnam under one government.  All international alliances with Vietnam were forbidden because Vietnam, as part of being neutral, should not ally with any world power. US openly refused to recognize the treaty. US officially declared that the Geneva Agreement was invalid. Washington categorically rejected nation elections, as it was obvious Ho Chi Minh would have won elections in the south. The French, Soviet, and Ho President of North Vietnam proposed elections should be held on schedule. All citizens over 18 North and South vote in a signal UN (International Control Commission) monitored election. The US intervened to prevent election over the protest of the International Control Commission. The US replaced Washington as the colonial overlords in Vietnam. Given the vices of our enemy in that conflict and their vices were many, at least it could be said they were fighting for the independence. I feel it is ironic that a man as immoral as our current president would make such a lame moral plea to the American people to cover the fact that perhaps he is the most incompetent president in American History. That is a powerful statement because we have a few real losers in the past.