Out of the blue, an old buddy this week sent me some photos of us as soldiers in Vietnam back when we were young and stupid. That lamentable war seemed a good idea at the time, and for my part I remain proud that I served, but over the years I have come to think that the statesmen who sent us were the stupid ones.
In their sage grayness, they thought that every challenge was ripe for a military solution. They knew little and cared less about that foreign country's history and culture. They had a theory that if South Vietnam fell to communism, other dominos would topple, making all Asia in the likeness of Red China.
