Impact Of Vietnam On U.S.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31256, 31 December 1966, Page 3

Impact Of Vietnam On U.S.

f.V.Z. Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, Dec. 30. The chief consequence of American involvement in Vietnam will be the suicide of the nation’s society, according to a visiting New York lawyer, Mr William Stringfellow.

He predicted that this would happen no matter what the outcome in South-east Asia.

Mr Stringfellow is the guest speaker at the third Anglican Youth Conference at present being held in Palmerston North.

He was talking about the impact of the war on the nations that have intervened, from the point of view of the Church.

Anybody who visited the United States, he said, would soon become aware of a deep sense of frustration over the war. The reason for this was easy enough to discern. It was being fought as a holy war: the essential idea being that right is might and not the other way round. The same idea was present on both sides during the Second World War but whereas it worked for the allies then it did not seem to be working for the United States now. Discovering this has been a traumatic experience for most Americans and has led almost to despair. The explosion of the myth

had, in his opinion, put the United States on a perilous course. There was an increasing reluctance to admit the mistakes of the past and a growing pursuit of vindication. Courses set by questionable decisions of the past were being followed with all the more zeal.

Perhaps this was coloured by the need of the President for personal vindication. “The real rationale for our foreign policy appears to be the vanity of our President,” he said. He wanted to go down in history as a great president and he would if he were the man to preside over the opening of the Third World War —that is, if there was anybody left to remember it.

Other things were happening in the United States. There was a discernable erosion of democratic institutions, the most important of these being the failure to have a proper parliamentary debate on the matter. There had been no debate on foreign military policy since the United States entered the Second World War and yet it was essential to have a debate to have an informed public. Another undesirable feature of life in the United States today was the imputation of treason made of those who dissent.

This was at its worst when the President accused those in authority who opposed him of aiding and comforting the

enemy. This was not only a warning to senators to keep their mouths shut but also to the ordinary citizen. There had been many similar cases, particularly amongst the clergy. These gave an idea of the mental intimidation going on. The continuous assault of news and propaganda on Vietnam had deadened the minds of people and “inoculated” them in much the same way as the people of Nazi Germany had been, said Mr Stringfellow. They had been reduced to such a condition that finally their consciences and ability to act was in a state of paralysis.