Overcoming the Past?

The good news is that while most of America continues to indulge in this national charade, and refuses to come to terms with its bloody past and prevent the “past” from becoming “prologue” again and again, the tiny S-shaped country upon which the U.S. military visited so much death and destruction has emerged as one of the great success stories of the developing world, a major player in Southeast Asia and a valued partner of the U.S. Against incalculable odds, including a cruel and devastating U.S.-led economic embargo that ended only 20 years ago this month, Vietnam has prevailed. Best of all, Vietnam belongs to the Vietnamese.

When asked if she feels hatred towards the U.S., a woman who lived through the 1972 “Christmas Bombing” of Hanoi replied “No. You never forget what happened, but you can’t move forward if you’re always looking back.” As the victimizers, Americans and their political leaders need to look back before they can move forward.

Follow this link to read this 20 February 2014 Huffington Post essay in its entirety.

MAA