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Originally Posted by Lil Dancer
I don't agree with the comment that people who criticize or in effect 'disagree' are whiners. If the citizens of this country hadn't 'whined' about the war in VietNam, we would have been much longer in getting out of there. I think it is the good citizen who makes his/her views known.
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If there wasn't as much 'whining,' Vietnam would have ended sooner as the 'whining' gave Gen. Giap and his political leadership the confidence to hold on despite enormous losses. The 'whiners' may have thought they saved lives, but actually cost us more. They will never believe it, only because they don't want to even consider what kept the North Vietnamese and their allies willing to endure - and that was American impatience. Not recognizing the difference in Occidental versus Oriental viewpoints at the time probably caused the impatience. Gen. Giap's memoirs tell the story.
Citizens have the right to express their opinions, and should in a truly free society. However, free speech, just like any other freedom, is not free. At some point - before or after - someone pays for it.