Vietnam Zeitgeist

This made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Via Altercation, Eric Alterman's correspondent Peter writes,

Does any of this charade about progress toward democracy in Iraq sound hauntingly familiar? Does this help refresh your memory?

"I extend my warm congratulations to you and to Prime Minister Ky on your victory in the election... The election was a milestone along the path toward . . . a free, secure and peaceful Viet-Nam." Lyndon Johnson to Thieu, Sept. 10, 1967.

"It is remarkable that a young country fighting a tough war on its own soil has moved so far, so fast, toward a representative government." Lyndon Johnson, Aug. 18, 1967, NYT, Aug. 19.

"We are in South Viet-Nam today because we want to allow a little nation self-determination. We want them to be able to go and vote for the kind of leaders they want and select the type of government they want. We want them to be free of terror and aggression in doing that ..." Lyndon Johnson, Oct. 27, 1966.
"We saw that democracy is gaining in Viet-Nam." Lyndon Johnson, June 27, 1967.

Why John Kerry is the right man to be president now.