Kinney letter: Presidents and war

How ironic. As a Vietnam veteran, I have watched with great interest the Vietnam War program on PBS. It has been informative. It has angered me. It has vividly shown the real horrors of war. It has told of the repeated lying by our presidents and absence of moral leadership. It has been a testimony to the courage and sacrifice of the people who were involved.

Here’s the irony. At the same time, our current president continues a barrage of bellicose taunts about North Korea. Deja vu. Other presidents have dared and provoked potential adversaries in order to initiate armed conflict.

Please, will someone help me understand how this kind of presidential leadership, continued willingness to sacrifice the lives of so many brave men and women, and general disregard of humanity will “make America great again”?

Is it true that the more things change, the more they stay the same? Is that “greatness”? What do you think?

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Kinney letter: Presidents and war."