A Time to Break SilenWord文件下载.docx

A Time to Break SilenWord文件下载.docx

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　　afterthefrenchweredefeated,itlookedasifindependenceandlandreformwouldcomeagainthroughthegenevaagreement.butinsteadtherecametheunitedstates,determinedthathoshouldnotunifythetemporarilydividednation,andthepeasantswatchedagainaswesupportedoneofthemostviciousmoderndictators,ourchosenman,premierdiem.thepeasantswatchedandcringedasdiemruthlesslyrootedoutallopposition,supportedtheirextortionistlandlords,andrefusedeventodiscussreunificationwiththenorth.thepeasantswatchedasallthiswaspresidedoverbyunitedstates'

influenceandthenbyincreasingnumbersofunitedstatestroopswhocametohelpquelltheinsurgencythatdiem'

smethodshadaroused.whendiemwasoverthrowntheymayhavebeenhappy,butthelonglineofmilitarydictatorsseemedtooffernorealchange,especiallyintermsoftheirneedforlandandpeace.

　　theonlychangecamefromamerica,asweincreasedourtroopcommitmentsinsupportofgovernmentswhichweresingularlycorrupt,inept,andwithoutpopularsupport.allthewhilethepeoplereadourleafletsandreceivedtheregularpromisesofpeaceanddemocracyandlandreform.nowtheylanguishunderourbombsandconsiderus,nottheirfellowvietnamese,therealenemy.theymovesadlyandapatheticallyasweherdthemoffthelandoftheirfathersintoconcentrationcampswhereminimalsocialneedsarerarelymet.theyknowtheymustmoveonorbedestroyedbyourbombs.

　　sotheygo,primarilywomenandchildrenandtheaged.theywatchaswepoisontheirwater,aswekillamillionacresoftheircrops.theymustweepasthebulldozersroarthroughtheirareaspreparingtodestroytheprecioustrees.theywanderintothehospitalswithatleasttwentycasualtiesfromamericanfirepowerforonevietcong-inflictedinjury.sofarwemayhavekilledamillionofthem,mostlychildren.theywanderintothetownsandseethousandsofthechildren,homeless,withoutclothes,runninginpacksonthestreetslikeanimals.theyseethechildrendegradedbyoursoldiersastheybegforfood.theyseethechildrensellingtheirsisterstooursoldiers,solicitingfortheirmothers.

　　whatdothepeasantsthinkasweallyourselveswiththelandlordsandaswerefusetoputanyactionintoourmanywordsconcerninglandreform?

whatdotheythinkaswetestoutourlatestweaponsonthem,justasthegermanstestedoutnewmedicineandnewtorturesintheconcentrationcampsofeurope?

wherearetherootsoftheindependentvietnamweclaimtobebuilding?

isitamongthesevoicelessones?

　　wehavedestroyedtheirtwomostcherishedinstitutions:

thefamilyandthevillage.wehavedestroyedtheirlandandtheircrops.wehavecooperatedinthecrushingofthenation'

sonlynoncommunistrevolutionarypoliticalforce,theunifiedbuddhistchurch.wehavesupportedtheenemiesofthepeasantsofsaigon.wehavecorruptedtheirwomenandchildrenandkilledtheirmen.

　　nowthereislittlelefttobuildon,savebitterness.*soontheonlysolidphysicalfoundationsremainingwillbefoundatourmilitarybasesandintheconcreteoftheconcentrationcampswecall"

fortifiedhamlets."

thepeasantsmaywellwonderifweplantobuildournewvietnamonsuchgroundsasthese.couldweblamethemforsuchthoughts?

wemustspeakforthemandraisethequestionstheycannotraise.these,too,areourbrothers.

　　perhapsamoredifficultbutnolessnecessarytaskistospeakforthosewhohavebeendesignatedasourenemies.*whatofthenationalliberationfront,thatstrangelyanonymousgroupwecall"

vc"

or"

communists"

?

whatmusttheythinkoftheunitedstatesofamericawhentheyrealizethatwepermittedtherepressionandcrueltyofdiem,whichhelpedtobringthemintobeingasaresistancegroupinthesouth?

whatdotheythinkofourcondoningtheviolencewhichledtotheirowntakingupofarms?

howcantheybelieveinourintegritywhennowwespeakof"

aggressionfromthenorth"

asiftherewerenothingmoreessentialtothewar?

howcantheytrustuswhennowwechargethemwithviolenceafterthemurderousreignofdiemandchargethemwithviolencewhilewepoureverynewweaponofdeathintotheirland?

surelywemustunderstandtheirfeelings,evenifwedonotcondonetheiractions.surelywemustseethatthemenwesupportedpressedthemtotheirviolence.surelywemustseethatourowncomputerizedplansofdestructionsimplydwarftheirgreatestacts.

　　howdotheyjudgeuswhenourofficialsknowthattheirmembershipislessthantwenty-fivepercentcommunist,andyetinsistongivingthemtheblanketname?

whatmusttheybethinkingwhentheyknowthatweareawareoftheircontrolofmajorsectionsofvietnam,andyetweappearreadytoallownationalelectionsinwhichthishighlyorganizedpoliticalparallelgovernmentwillnothaveapart?

theyaskhowwecanspeakoffreeelectionswhenthesaigonpressiscensoredandcontrolledbythemilitaryjunta.andtheyaresurelyrighttowonderwhatkindofnewgovernmentweplantohelpformwithoutthem,theonlypartyinrealtouchwiththepeasants.theyquestionourpoliticalgoalsandtheydenytherealityofapeacesettlementfromwhichtheywillbeexcluded.theirquestionsarefrighteninglyrelevant.isournationplanningtobuildonpoliticalmythagain,andthenshoreitupuponthepowerofnewviolence?

　　hereisthetruemeaningandvalueofcompassionandnonviolence,whenithelpsustoseetheenemy'

spointofview,tohearhisquestions,toknowhisassessmentofourselves.forfromhisviewwemayindeedseethebasicweaknessesofourowncondition,andifwearemature,wemaylearnandgrowandprofitfromthewisdomofthebrotherswhoarecalledtheopposition.

　　so,too,withhanoi.inthenorth,whereourbombsnowpummeltheland,andourminesendangerthewaterways,wearemetbyadeepbutunderstandablemistrust.tospeakforthemistoexplainthislackofconfidenceinwesternwords,andespeciallytheirdistrustofamericanintentionsnow.inhanoiarethemenwholedthenationtoindependenceagainstthejapaneseandthefrench,themenwhosoughtmembershipinthefrenchcommonwealthandwerebetrayedbytheweaknessofparisandthewillfulnessofthecolonialarmies.itwastheywholedasecondstruggleagainstfrenchdominationattremendouscosts,andthenwerepersuadedtogiveupthelandtheycontrolledbetweenthethirteenthandseventeenthparallelasatemporarymeasureatgeneva.after1954theywatchedusconspirewithdiemtopreventelectionswhichcouldhavesurelybroughthochiminhtopoweroveraunitedvietnam,andtheyrealizedtheyhadbeenbetrayedagain.whenweaskwhytheydonotleaptonegotiate,thesethingsmustberemembered.

　　also,itmustbeclearthattheleadersofhanoiconsideredthepresenceofamericantroopsinsupportofthediemregimetohavebeentheinitialmilitarybreachofthegenevaagreementconcerningforeigntroops.theyremindusthattheydidnotbegintosendtroopsinlargenumbersandevensuppliesintothesouthuntilamericanforceshadmovedintothetensofthousands.

　　hanoiremembershowourleadersrefusedtotellusthetruthabouttheearliernorthvietnameseoverturesforpeace,howthepresidentclaimedthatnoneexistedwhentheyhadclearlybeenmade.hochiminhhaswatchedasamericahasspokenofpeaceandbuiltupitsforces,andnowhehassurelyheardtheincreasinginternationalrumorsofamericanplansforaninvasionofthenorth.heknowsthebombingandshellingandminingwearedoingarepartoftraditionalpre-invasionstrategy.perhapsonlyhissenseofhumorandofironycansavehimwhenhehearsthemostpowerfulnationoftheworldspeakingofaggressionasitdropsthousandsofbombsonapoor,weaknationmorethan*eighthundred,orrather,*eightthousandmilesawayfromitsshores.

　　atthispointishouldmakeitclearthatwhileihavetriedintheselastfewminutestogiveavoicetothevoicelessinvietnamandtounderstandtheargumentsofthosewhoarecalled"

enemy,"

iamasdeeplyconcernedaboutourowntroopsthereasanythingelse.