The politics of good intentions ...That was then

"To abandon this small and brave nation to its enemies, and to the terror that must follow, would be an unforgivable wrong...To withdraw from one battlefield means only to prepare for the next.... We are there because we have a promise to keep. Over many years, we have made a national pledge to help ...defend its independence. And I intend to keep that promise.To dishonour that pledge, to abandon this small and brave nation to its enemies, and to the terror that must follow, would be an unforgivable wrong.We are also there to strengthen world order...Because we fight for values and we fight for principles, rather than territory or colonies, our patience and our determination are unending." Lyndon B. Johnson on April 7, 1965, (nesta altura, 500 soldados tinham morrido. No Cambodja o seu Principe ainda mantinha o regime num equilibrio precario que viria a desabar com os bombardeamentos. Mais tarde seria o regime vietnamita ja vitorioso, a acabar com o genocidio).