'Napalm Girl' focal point one of the most poinaint images ever (imsho) turns 40.

[TheAnimus]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...i132205D79.DTL

One of the most iconic photographs ever taken is in the news again as the girl in the midst of all this turns 40.

It's an amazing time to reflect on when someone leads with beliefs, will accomplish something awful, because they are not mediated by rational or logic.

What I found shocking is how little benefit the conflict was to the US. For Uncle Ho, it was beneficial, he was able to play the Soviets and the Chinese for support and aid.

The US was stopping the 'Domino Effect', they suggested that if Vietnam became communist that all countries would follow. The US opposed democratic elections to accomplish this goal.

One thing kept the US going, their beliefs.

edit: sorry the photograph turns 40, Lady is 49.

[Larkspeed]

according to the story she is already 49 so I think you might mean 50

[kalniel]

One thing kept the US going, their beliefs.

Or desire to win votes I suppose.

[peterb]

It's an amazing time to reflect on when someone leads with beliefs, will accomplish something awful...


One thing kept the US going, their beliefs.

The belief of those who saved Kim Phuc, because they believed that taking her to hospital was the right thing to do, and saved her life.

On the subject of belief, the belief of the allies to fight Germany in !939, because it was the right thing to do. Powerful stuff, belief, a force for good and bad, depending on how it is used, or your point of view, or agenda.

[TheAnimus]

The belief of those who saved Kim Phuc, because they believed that taking her to hospital was the right thing to do, and saved her life.

It wasn't a case of it being a belief, it was the suffering they saw right before them, de-humanising as the war was (and no, you don't need to visit the Museum of American War Crimes in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to appreciate that).

You don't need a belief in a value system to help someone suffering if your able, in fact those who do not are considered to suffer from named illnesses.

On the subject of belief, the belief of the allies to fight Germany in !939, because it was the right thing to do. Powerful stuff, belief, a force for good and bad, depending on how it is used, or your point of view, or agenda.

No belief required that they where 'right'. A country had been invaded. Its easy to have a rational view point suggesting that its wrong to allow an ally of yours to be invaded, assuming you don't wish to be invaded.

[peterb]

Still be4lief - they believed that the humane thing to do was the right thing to do. Still comes down to belief, just as the American believed it was right to (invade) support Vietnam. But perhaps belief is the wrong word. Substitute 'thought' and the argument still holds. Just semantics.

[Larkspeed]

But the US never invaded Vietnam

They did invade Laos and Cambodia but not Vietnam.

The US supported the South Vietnamese government and when conflict escalated between North and South they were given permission to send in troops in support.

The Vietnam conflict was a police action not a war.

They may have stayed longer than they should have but they never invaded.