Sunday my wife had to work for a while, so I rode along and walked over to the library, just for
something to do. Maybe find a book, maybe just get some exercise. I wandered down the aisles, and came across “Most Dangerous,” by Steve Sheinkin. It is the story of Daniel Ellsberg's journey from Pentagon employee to outspoken advocate for peace. It revolves around his decision to leak the Pentagon Papers.
Ellsberg had been a strategic analyst at the Rand Corporation in his early career. From that auspicious beginning he became one of Kennedy's best and brightest. After being hired by John McNaughton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
His job consisted of justifying the expansion of the war in Vietnam. While Johnson was saying he did not want to “widen the war.” Ellsberg worked furtively on reasons to escalate. But, he worried about the reports crossing his desk. He saw the inconsistency, and was often tasked with finding ends to cover the means.
He saw, first hand, how the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong were willing to match every increase in manpower and violence. He saw the futility of “Rolling Thunder” the bombing campaign designed to drive North Vietnam to peace negotiations. He had a front row seat to the subversion of truth to justify the continued involvement in a hopeless waste. He saw Robert McNamara come to the same conclusion. Before leaving the Department of Defense McNamara authorized a commission to study American involvement in the war, with the stated reason of preventing future mistakes.
After spending two years in Vietnam he became convinced the United States was more interested in not losing the war than winning. They were willing to suffer sacrifices of men, materiel, a disturbing amount of money, international good will, all in an effort to walk away, at some point, with some small amount of dignity. Winning may not have been possible, and would have, at any rate, been more than the country was willing to bear. And, the truth was buried under presidential speeches and hollow, malignant rhetoric.
I worry about our country today. We seem ready to sprint into confrontation. Nikki Haley's repeated promise to take names is applauded as the new American diplomacy. Blind obedience is the definition of commitment. Patriotism is now measured as the ability to ignore the facts. Right now, I think the nation needs another Daniel Ellsberg.
