Ryan’s Reviews > The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam > Status Update

Read these pages on 3/8/24 while at the laundromat but forgot to update Goodreads since then.

One of the interesting things referenced is dual studies of bombing in WWII and Vietnam that found bombings from the air force seemed to have no effectiveness in battle into ending the wars even as that was the strategic idea of the air strikes. The idea that the air force wasn't welcoming of such a conclusion because it could take them out of the equation so they just ignored this study and accelerated bombing.

I brought this to read as I visited someone at a hospital but didn't get too far. I had to stop when I began to feel anxious (probably not due to what I was reading). Not the most relaxing material though. Like the last time I picked up this book it was hard not to relate, maybe erroneously, some events about WWII/Vietnam (in this case bombing meant to demoralize instead hardening morale) and think of recent events.

Maybe it is wrong, but there were a couple passages (one from this hearing about the increasing conflict/war in Vietnam with Senators that moved against it, yet also voted to continue its funding) where I couldn't help but see (even if only superficially) a relation to US' irrational, ironic (in terms of caring about liberty) response to foreign conflict in the 60s that is painted here w/ that of events the last week

I forgot to update this the last time I read from the book again. Update for that and today's readings. This latest section paints JFK baldy, including quoting him as saying to a congressman pushing back on US involvement in Vietnam that he'll have to wait a year and a half until after the election so he can get re-elected. All while recognizing how the reforms and progress they were after wasn't possible.

This update is for what I read yesterday (1/6; to pg. 276) and today (to pg. 279). Both days I was reading in a car and someone was talking to me. Distractions abound! Anyway, I think Tuchman is making her most compelling argument so far in this book with the sheer amount of knowledge about how bad a decision involvement in Vietnam was years before the US war started. These are relatively competent people w/ info

So unfortunately I determined I wasn't going to finish this book tonight, before the year ends, but at least I got to see three movies so not a total loss in my book.