History lessons

To the editor:

Every country, whether it’s the recent or distant past, has a dark history. The United States is no exception, although our leaders constantly tell us that we’re exceptional. April 30 marked both the first 100 days of the Trump administration, and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.  

In reference to the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers revealed how the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations repeatedly lied to the American people about the Vietnam War. The Nixon administration not only continued these lies, but also escalated covert actions both in Southeast Asia and at home. 

These actions would eventually result in the impeachment of President Nixon and his subsequent resignation. The estimated total of civilian casualties during the Vietnam War era was 2.5 to 2.7 million, with nearly 60,000 American soldiers killed. In addition, 388,000 tons of napalm and about 20 million gallons of herbicides, including Agent Orange, were dropped during the war in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

In reference to Trump’s first 100 days, a May 4 Sunday New York Times opinion piece summed up our present nightmare: “Repress dissent. Shatter precedents. Dismantle oversight. Bully the opposition. Crush elite institutions. Seize executive power.”  At the bottom of the page were the words, “How to Sabotage Democracy.”

As The Times editorial put it, “The first 100 days of President Trump’s second term did more damage to American democracy than anything else since the demise of Reconstruction. Mr. Trump is attempting to create a presidency unconstrained by Congress or the courts.”

Howard Elterman