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"Did you see Ken Burns's 'The Vietnam War'?" Topic


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690 hits since 18 Sep 2017
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Personal logo Saginaw Supporting Member of TMP18 Sep 2017 6:41 a.m. PST

Part One aired last night. Parts Two through Five air tonight through Thursday, and Parts Six through Ten air from next Sunday to Thursday.

So far, I like the tone and pacing of the series, especially Part One's concise and narrative history laying down the foundation of the story of America's involvement. On a personal level, I've always had an interest in not just the Vietnam War itself, but of the stories of the lives affected and how our culture was changed. My brother and a couple of cousins were "in country" and, thankfully, returned with no observable ill-effects.

We've learned so much since then, but there's still much more to tell.

peace

Old Wolfman18 Sep 2017 7:05 a.m. PST

Haven't seen it yet.

clibinarium18 Sep 2017 8:10 a.m. PST

In the UK it starts on BBC Four next week I think. They've billed it as a "10 Hour" series, but my understanding is the whole thing is 18 hours. I am guessing they've edited it down to get 10 one hour episodes. I hope I'm wrong. If not I'll wait to see it some other way as I am not watching the series with nearly half the material missing.
I faintly remember them pulling the same thing with the Civil War in the early 90s.

Cyrus the Great18 Sep 2017 8:25 a.m. PST

I was surprised by the number of Viet Minh, still living, that they were able to interview. The number of presidents that had personal misgivings, but escalated anyway. What should've been viewed as the end of European colonialism, was viewed in the light of the Cold War! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

ScottWashburn Sponsoring Member of TMP18 Sep 2017 9:38 a.m. PST

I was very impressed with the first episode. The tragedy of the whole thing was made clearer than ever for me. Ho Chi Min would have gladly been an ally to the US if we just hadn't sided with DeGaul and the French. His interest in Communism was entirely secondary to his desire for a free and independent Vietnam.

Cyrus the Great18 Sep 2017 11:06 a.m. PST

Dewey being mistakenly shot, didn't help matters any.

jdginaz18 Sep 2017 11:41 a.m. PST

"Ho Chi Min would have gladly been an ally to the US if we just hadn't sided with DeGaul and the French. His interest in Communism was entirely secondary to his desire for a free and independent Vietnam."

That is all BS Min was a diehard communist the idea that he wasn't came Archimedes Patti's report on Min and had become a personal friend of Ho and was a communist sympathizer himself.

Early on he was an advocate of Bolshevism for Asians. He was a founding member of the French Communist party and later went to the USSR and received a university education there.

The idea that he was mainly a nationalist is shown to be false by the fact that after returning to Vietnam he & Giap killed off the leaders of rival national groups making sure the communist were in charge of the movement.

goragrad18 Sep 2017 1:02 p.m. PST

There is also the fact that for significant periods in history the Northern and Southern portions of Vietnam were separate entities. Something noted post war by a reporter traveling through the country. Of course 20 years of living under Communism in the North versus at least a form of Capitalism in the South probably shaped the peoples' worldviews.

And in my past delvings into Ho Chi Minh's background I found, that as jdginaz, he was a Communist first and foremost.

Not unexpected that Burns would take a liberal view of the origins and conduct of the war.

Cyrus the Great18 Sep 2017 3:05 p.m. PST

Not unexpected that Burns would take a liberal view of the origins and conduct of the war.

@goragrad
Did you actually see the episode?

Personal logo Doctor X Supporting Member of TMP18 Sep 2017 4:17 p.m. PST

It didn't matter if Ho was a nationalist or not.

When the Cold War started being a Communist pretty much assured you couldn't be aligned with the US.

Looking forward to tonight's episode.

Shagnasty Supporting Member of TMP18 Sep 2017 5:52 p.m. PST

No, despite the very clever advertisements.

Captain Gideon18 Sep 2017 9:04 p.m. PST

NO Not interested in the period.

Hafen von Schlockenberg18 Sep 2017 10:25 p.m. PST

Didn't Jar Jar do a tour there?

No,wait,it's because of this,isn't it?

youtu.be/NxgF2cx7gyk

ZULUPAUL Supporting Member of TMP19 Sep 2017 4:09 a.m. PST

No, no interest in his documentaries.

Personal logo StoneMtnMinis Supporting Member of TMP19 Sep 2017 9:03 a.m. PST

NO, I have been fully indoctrinated already. I am no longer capable of thought crime.

Jakar Nilson19 Sep 2017 10:02 a.m. PST

Yep. I've also been reading Lucien Bodard's accounts on the French Indochina war, so some of what was shown on Sunday seemed a bit simplistic, especially the absence of any mention of Bao Dai.

Hope there will be some mention of Australian and New Zealand involvement.

goragrad19 Sep 2017 12:00 p.m. PST

Haven't watched a Burns docudrama in years.

When a man can do a series on the early feminist/suffragettes and totally fail to mention their anti-abortion views I can find better things to do than sit and wonder how what I am watching has been shaped by an agenda and what isn't being shown because of that agenda.

Cacique Caribe19 Sep 2017 11:57 p.m. PST

Some politicians still think there are 2 Vietnams today. :)

Dan

Tumbleweed Supporting Member of TMP25 Sep 2017 10:30 a.m. PST

I reconsidered and decided that my comment could be construed as too political.

14Bore26 Sep 2017 3:33 p.m. PST

Not a channel I roam through often and didn't relize it was alresdy playing. But see its On Demand and plan to see at least a few. Like right now.

Showing season 1 starting at episode 7

138SquadronRAF27 Sep 2017 8:16 a.m. PST

Yes, up to to episode 4 currently and have generally found it interesting.

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