Jerry Miskulin – 10/10/06

This page was last updated on October 10, 2006.

We need the Chicago Seven; Jerry Miskulin; Beaver County Times; October 10, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“To understand the Iraq war, you have to understand the Vietnam War.”

[RWC] Based on this letter, I’m not sure Mr. Miskulin is in any position to tell anyone about the Vietnam War. That’s surprising, given Mr. Miskulin lived through the Vietnam War, albeit as a grade and high school student.

“Vietnam was under the Chinese sphere of influence. At any time, the Chinese could have unleashed their 10 million-man army and overwhelmed the U.S. troops. For President Johnson and President Nixon, the war was a national endeavor, but patriotism comes in many forms.”

[RWC] I’m not sure why Mr. Miskulin mentioned Richard Nixon. From the day he took office in 1969, Mr. Nixon began bringing troops home and began negotiations to end the war.

I believe Mr. Miskulin’s assessment about Red China’s potential involvement is a fantasy. The primary supporter of North Vietnam was the Soviet Union, which supplied about 80% of the NVA and Vietcong arms and supplies. Red China’s contribution was to supply some rifles in the early 1960s, to provide some manpower to repair bombing damage in North Vietnam, and to provide some other technical support. Neither Red China nor the USSR showed any inclination to put their own military personnel in combat, though it’s believed at least some Soviet pilots flew some fighter jet missions.

“The Chicago Seven were more patriotic than Nixon or Johnson. They saw Vietnam as an unwinnable war for reasons mentioned above. Had the Chicago Seven’s advice been taken, maybe 30,000 of our 50,000 casualties may not have occurred.”

[RWC] It was actually the Chicago Eight (Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, and Lee Weiner). The group became the Chicago Seven only after one of the gang (Bobby Seale) was thrown in prison during the trial for contempt of court.

Here’s a quick review of the gang Mr. Miskulin claims was “patriotic.” The group was charged with conspiracy and with inciting the violent riots at the 1968 Democrat convention in Chicago. While on trial, these “patriots” constantly mocked the trial and the judge. Ultimately, the group was acquitted on most of the charges.

In 1973, “patriotic” Tom Hayden married “patriotic” Jane Fonda. You know, the Jane Fonda who in 1972 posed on an NVA anti-aircraft battery used to shoot at American pilots. The “patriotic” Ms. Fonda also participated in North Vietnamese radio broadcasts encouraging American bomber crews to turnaround and not drop their bombs.

Yep, that’s one “patriotic” group.

I believe the Chicago Eight weren’t acting out of patriotism and likely didn’t care one whit about the deaths of soldiers. This was a gang of leftists who believed – and those still alive likely still believe – communism was right and freedom was wrong. As a result, they believed the U.S. had to be defeated. Had the U.S. been a Communist country and had North Vietnam been a free country, I’d be willing to bet this group would have been war advocates.

The “unwinnable” allegation was proven wrong years later by the North Vietnamese themselves. The 1968 Tet Offensive was a crushing military defeat for the NVA and Vietcong and the North Vietnamese were ready to throw in the towel. When they saw the U.S. press reported the Tet Offensive as a North Vietnam victory, however, the North Vietnamese knew they had a chance to win because the U.S. press had turned against the U.S.

“Never get stuck in a civil war, and never get involved in a domestic incident, for they are one in the same.”

[RWC] I’m glad the Marquis de Lafayette and the French didn’t subscribe to Mr. Miskulin’s philosophy.

“The Iraq war takes place in a Muslim sphere of influence, very similar to what we had in Vietnam with the Chinese. It is a civil war with our troops in the middle. We endanger the lives of any Iraqis who take our side, for they will meet with vengeance at the war’s end.”

[RWC] What is it with folks like Mr. Miskulin? Despite the fact Iraq and Vietnam are nothing alike, people like Mr. Miskulin do their damnedest to make a comparison.

I wonder if Mr. Miskulin knows what “our side” is.

“The only problem now is we have no dissent except for John Murtha. It’s a shame Murtha is our Chicago Seven to the end. History will prove him right, going against the White House.”

[RWC] “[W]e have no dissent except for John Murtha?” Is Mr. Miskulin serious? Democrats have been bashing President Bush on Iraq since at least mid-2003.

Even though I’m no fan of Mr. Murtha, I believe it’s wrong to compare him to the Chicago Eight.

“To my president, I say, you were never promised a rose garden.”

[RWC] Huh?