Politics

[FaultyMario]

The whole point of "forever wars" is that they can't be ended by a single individual.

because killing highly popular presidents is kinda frowned upon.

[Rare White Ape]

because killing highly popular presidents is kinda frowned upon.

Except if you’re a left-wing president who made peace with your neighbours in 1993.

[FaultyMario]

I meant Kennedy, but you're right about General Rabin.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Was Kennedy really trying to end Vietnam war? I think it's not really all that clear, right? Given that he feared communism so much... Cuban Missile crisis and the moon program were all geared toward getting ahead of the Soviet Commies! Would he really just let the domino fall so easily in Vietnam like that? Since he's dead, I think we'll never truly know.

If his life was indeed taken because of his intention to withdraw, what was the reason for Trump's life being spared when he pulled out of Afghanistan?

Establishment simply got bored with the forever war? Similarly it was another "crooked" republican president who finally pulled out of Vietnam? I kinda wish Obama could pulled out of these forever wars, but Obama changed his colors once he won the WH. He ran his campaign like a Bernie but he presided over the WH like Hillary. For now, Trump gets the credit for ending a forever war in Afghanistan.

So in a way, both Nixon and Trump were simply admitting defeat and gave up? Establishment didn't kill them, but made sure they run away in disgrace with tail tucked between their legs? Of course, things remain to be seen with Trump. Establishment perhaps is no longer as powerful as before...

Anyway, other than W who invaded Iraq, it seems dems are also very good at starting forever wars. It's clearly a bi-paritsan thing. It's good for US interests geopolitically and it's profitable selling arms and then maybe sell them loans to help rebuild. US needs to stop messing the rest of the world up... and instead of foreign aids, more money should be invested in our own country more. Our politicians have lost sight of what's important, just like Boeing executives.

[MR2 Fan]

We had no U.S. troops in Vietnam until 1965

[Crazed_Insanity]

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/foreword

"Kennedy avoided war in Laos, rejecting a military proposal to send American troops to fend off a communist insurgency there. However, he authorized sending troops and military advisers to the U.S.-backed nation of South Vietnam and steadily increased their numbers throughout his presidency. The administration was determined not to lose either the nation of South Vietnam or the broader region of Southeast Asia to communism, cementing its military commitment to Vietnam.

Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963 brought his Vice President,..."

I can't remember dates exactly, so I had to google and look it up at the official historical timeline provided by our very own state department.

Anyway, regardless of what Kennedy might have done had he lived, I just don't think he was assassinated because of war in Vietnam. It was during an early stage of the war... if the 'establishment' really murdered him because he wouldn't fall in line, it was probably for some other reason.

I tend to think commander-in-chief definitely has the power to end forever wars. Otherwise that name/label would be bogus. There may be forces more powerful than the US president, but ending wars should be within his power.