One of the enduring domestic images of the Vietnam war was the dichotomy between the "long-hairs," students protesting US involvement in the conflict, and the "hard-hats," construction guys and other union stiffs who waved the flag and beat the crap out of naysayers (see, e.g., the opening paragraphs of this). I distinctly remember classic Doonesbury cartoons (from the first or second anthology) that involve a college student's trepidation over taking a summer job on a construction site...Well, the Iraq conflict may be the "new Vietnam" to many, but its reception at home is quite a different matter than in 1970. Today the AFL-CIO officially announced it's call to bring the troops home. They make reference in part to the fact that the greatest toll comes among the children of the working class, but they also express a sense that greater accountability is required from our leaders and their on-the-ground planners.
(via pal Lois)
No comments:
Post a Comment