The Normal Conspiratorial Politics of Vietnam III

  

The Normal Conspiratorial Politics of Vietnam, III

Peter Schultz

 

                  Again, from Newman’s book, JFK and Vietnam:

 

                  “McNamara did not question Harkins’ view that the war was being won, but did question the suggestion that it could be over in one year. Harkins’ claim seems to incredibly naïve that one may ask with justification: how could the American commander be so out of touch with reality? If Harkins knew that the order of battle carried well under half of the actual communist forces; if he knew – as he later admitted but would not let Jimmy Harris report outside MACV – that the infiltration problem was serious and getting worse; if he knew the casualty figures were 30 percent too high for the Viet Cong and 30 percent too low for the government; if he knew that the SDC were defecting as fast the government was trying to replace them – how could he possibly think that victory could be achieved in just twelve months? We do not know what motivated Harkins, but whatever it was, it surely defies a sound military explanation.” [288]

 

                  What motivated Harkins was nothing less than protecting the Army hierarchy, its conventional wisdom about fighting wars, and protecting his role in that hierarchy. If that hierarchy was seen as failing, then Harkins and his colleagues would also be seen as failing. So, Harkins conspired to protect his power and the power of a hierarchy he believed in, a hierarchy that was being challenged, that was threatened by subversive individuals who were not aware of the consequences of their actions. Perhaps McNamara did not question or challenge Harkins more closely because he too believed in the Concept, because he too believed in the established Army hierarchy and, so, wanted to protect it and Harkins, et. al.

 

                  It is important to emphasize, however, that despite Newman’s apparent surprise at Harkins behavior, Harkins was merely acting as all political actors behave when their power and their hierarchy are threatened. Which is why Oglesby’s take on conspiracies rings true: “Conspiracies are the normal continuation of normal politics in a normal way.” The allure of politics is power and, so, when one’s power is threatened, those involved do what they think they must do to preserve their power. Normally this means acting conspiratorially.