LBJ took the information sent to him from the Turner Joy and used it as a
pretext to start a war. Even though there's enough evidence to show the
ship, along with the Maddox, was either not under attack, was not attacked
on the high seas, or had violated the territorial integrity of N. Vietnam.
JFK had ordered a complete troop and adviser withdrawal. LBJ reversed that.
JFK did not rule out the use of the National Guard, that was LBJ once again.
That war was Lyndon's War pure and simple. All those names on that monument
in Washington? Because of one meglomaniac. LBJ is not someone the
Democratic party should point to with pride. On top of everything else he
gave us Nixon. Sheesh . . .that's three strikes in one all by itself.

No arguments on the McNamara Gang.

M.

That aside and from a pure professional military viewpoint, I did love the
work.





"Vito" wrote in message
...
"Michael" wrote in message
...
What you are talking about is "Guns and Butter" which resulted in LBJ's
contrived War in VietNam, .....

Sorry old man but LBJ did NOT contrive the war in Vietnam; it was
contrived
by JFK's "Whiz Kids" - a pack of north-eastern Brahmins who despised
Johnson
as an uncouth southern red neck. Their buddy JFK had let Ike's plan to
win
Vietnamese hearts and minds over to capitalism fail. They erroniously
believed the plan could be salvaged by committing US troops. Knowing that
LBJ, congress, the Military and the American people were all "too stupid"
to
see the merit in their ivory tower logic they contrived a huge conn job
and
it worked. With McNamara as Sec of Defense and Bunker as ambassador
controlling in country intellegence they pulled the wool on everybody,
including LBJ.

LBJ's failed social programs, ...

Agreed, but ....
LBJ's huge national debt increase, LBJ being run out of office .....

My recollection of the period differes from yours - or perhaps you are
just
repeating the BS you were told. LBJ's debt increase was tiny compared to
Reagan's or The Shrub's. And as far as being run out of office, LBJ
elected
to quit soon after learning how he'd been duped into the war.

JFK where were you when we really needed you!

Bwahahahahaha! That's a good one!!