January 14, 2007
by Steve Hammons

The recent passing of former President Gerald Ford reminds us of the idea that, in sometimes unusual ways, events in life seem to move in circles and patterns.

Ford entered the presidency when U.S. involvement in Vietnam was deemed a lost cause and when the American people and Congress demanded an end to the bloodshed.

With a steady hand, Ford facilitated the final withdrawal.

Prior to this stage in the Vietnam War, some U.S. officials kept thinking that if they just added more troops, there would be "victory" and "success." After more than 58,000 U.S. military deaths and many more wounded, maimed and damaged veterans, the war seemed to be going worse than ever.

The deaths of and injury to innocent Vietnamese civilians, of course, far exceeded even this tragic number of U.S. casualties.

CIRCLES OF WAR

As the futility of the Vietnam effort became obvious, a stepped-up training program for then-South Vietnam's military was implemented by President Richard Nixon. U.S. troops would hand over more responsibility and bases to them under the plan called "Vietnamization."

How similar this all is to the situation we face in Iraq now.

In Vietnam and Iraq, we tried to occupy a country that posed minimal threat to the U.S. We waged a counterinsurgency effort against adequately skilled, motivated and well-supplied fighters who did not want us occupying their land. We tried to prop up a weak and corrupt foreign government that we had helped install.

The circle has come around again in frightening and depressing ways, complete with thousands of U.S. troops and innocent civilians (including children) dead and horribly injured, war profiteers getting rich and America's reputation in the world severely damaged.

We also have a U.S. administration, like the Nixon administration, that has lost the trust of most of the people, the Congress and strikes many as being out of touch with reality and dangerous.

Now, as in the days when Nixon was leaving the presidency and Ford assumed office, the Congress is trying to take responsibility to resolve a difficult and poorly thought-out war of choice, waged in an apparently incompetent way.

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IMPEACHMENT, PARDON, FAMILIAR FACES

Ford found himself as president after Nixon resigned in the face of impeachment due to reasonable suspicion and probable cause that he may have committed high crimes and misdemeanors.

Nixon's vice president, Spiro Agnew had previously been removed due to criminal charges.

Those who advocate impeachment of George W. Bush, and immediate criminal charges against Dick Cheney in the CIA agent leak case or for other matters, might remember what the outcome of that earlier situation was: Ford granted a full pardon for any crimes Nixon might be indicted, convicted or sentenced for.

Nixon would probably have faced significant criminal and civil legal actions upon leaving office if not for Ford's pardon.

Current White House officials may face the same kinds of legal actions when they leave office, and these could be more significant a consequence than impeachment.

Premature action now could result in pardons.

Another interesting circle is the fact that Ford helped usher Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld into executive branch power.

These two men have been in the middle of the planning for and conduct of the Iraq War, including the questionable motivation and intelligence manipulations that triggered the invasion and facilitated the highly problematic occupation.

Rumsfeld has repeatedly been compared to former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. McNamara micromanaged the Vietnam War and listened to think tank and bureaucratic armchair warriors instead of seasoned military professionals. He resigned as the Vietnam War soured. Rumsfeld did the same recently.

BREAKING CYCLES, NEW PATHS

These troubling circles show us, again, that we must be ever watchful of the abuses of power in government and the desire of so many for war profits.

Equally dangerous and disturbed is the need by some people for vain and false glory, gratification and power from warmongering and sending others to their deaths and severe injury. These are the chicken hawks, and they are dangerous.

Maybe one day we can break the cycle of these tragic and repeated mistakes and patterns. Maybe we can find more advanced ways to conduct national affairs and international human activities.

Maybe American officials, honorable warriors, citizens from all walks of life and people around the world will step forward and adopt new ways of understanding the paths we must take to create a better world.

Because these circles can be a spiral of destruction for America, humanity and our Earth if not handled intelligently.

And because we have the chance for a much brighter future, for ourselves and future generations, if we break these damaging patterns and create new circles of positive human development.

Then, maybe sooner than we think, we may recognize the hopeful and even wonderful opportunities and discoveries that are within reach.

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Steve Hammons [send him email] is the author of Mission into Light and Light's Hand, which are two novels about a U.S. Government and military joint-service research team investigating unusual phenomena. Click here to see Steve's homepage.