The best way for every American old enough to think for her or himself to honor Dr Martin Luther King this weekend is to listen to and read the speech he delivered on April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York, “Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence.”
As TIME MAGAZINE put it back in 2019: “The MLK Speech We Need Today Is Not the One We Remember Most”:
“Most Americans remember Martin Luther King Jr. for his dream of what this country could be, a nation where his children would ‘not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’ While those words from 1963 are necessary, his speech ‘Beyond Vietnam,’ from 1967, is actually the more insightful one.
“It is also a much more dangerous and disturbing speech, which is why far fewer Americans have heard of it. And yet IT IS THE SPEECH THAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR THEN–AND NEED TO HEAR TODAY.” Continued at https://time.com/5505453/martin-luther-king-beyond-vietnam/ ; EMPHASIS added.
Jan 14, 2023·edited Jan 14, 2023Liked by Bill Astore
When reading and listening to it, bear in mind what CNN reported on the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination in 2018 regarding The Media’s reaction and response to “Beyond Vietnam”: “The verdict was harsh. By one count, SOME 168 MAJOR NEWSPAPERS CONDEMNED THE SPEECH. King became persona non grata at the Johnson White House.
“‘He has diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country and to his people,’ The Washington Post declared.
“The New York Times, too, published a damning assessment, titled ‘Dr. King’s Error,’ arguing that it was ‘both wasteful and self-defeating’ to link Vietnam with domestic inequity and unrest.
“‘Dr. King,’ the piece resolved, ‘makes too facile a connection between the speeding up of the war in Vietnam and the slowing down of the war against poverty.’
“The San Antonio Express ruled that King, ‘gripped’ by some ‘strange logic,’ was ‘tragically wrong in his viewpoint.’
“‘If King and his group really want to help themselves,’ it continued, ‘they can show a spirit of support now lacking that will make the impression in Hanoi that America is not greatly divided in its determination to honor the commitment in Vietnam.’
“Others were less measured in their language. Life magazine described the speech as ‘demagogic slander that sounded like a script for Radio Hanoi,’ while James Marlow, in his analysis for The Associated Press, suggested King’s drawing together Vietnam and civil rights was a cynical attempt to reclaim the ‘limelight.’
“‘Some Negro leaders publicly disagreed with these latest tactics of King,’ he wrote. ‘Since he needs all the white and Negro support he can get to start the civil rights movement rolling again, it’s hard to see how he did it anything but injury.’
“‘Martin Luther King Crosses the Line,’ The Cincinnati Enquirer blared, calling his words ‘arrant nonsense.’
“The ‘unctuous’ King ‘has been something of a hindrance to the civil rights movement since he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize,’ they wrote. ‘Since the award, he has specialized in speaking in Olympian tones, rather than addressing himself to the practicalities of the civil rights movement.’” Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/04/politics/martin-luther-king-beyond-vietnam-speech-backlash/
Also bear in mind that exactly one year later to the day, on April 4, 1968, TET 1968 had completely exposed the lies that Washington had been perpetrating and perpetuating about how Great the War was going, and Dr King was dead in Memphis.
"Privates should make more, generals should make less..."
Absolutely. The same is true of CEOs and line employees in the civilian world. And really, no one in this country should be food-insecure, given the overall wealth inside our borders (and in offshore stashes!).
But I didn't realize that such abysmal conditions exist for lower-level members of the military. Truly, shockingly inexcusable!
This is nonsense. Enlisted members like me are very well paid thank you very much. We get extra pay for food, an allowance that covers rent or a mortgage and utilities, extra pay for travel and family separation, life insurance, and health care. Our discretionary income is huge. If active duty troops can't make ends meet it's because of life-style choices. Try it as a civilian without those benefits and tax advantages. You know, a little empathy for those paying your way.
I'm glad your discretionary income is "huge." And having served in the military for 20 years, I'm familiar with BAQ, SGLI, military health care, and other benefits.
The problem comes for those enlisted who get married, start families, and often live off base. You might call those "life-style" choices, but they are something more than that. Often, getting by requires a second income, such as a spouse working. What if the spouse loses their job? Raising a family on the pay of an E3 or E4 isn't easy.
You know the old joke: If the Army wanted you to have a wife and kids, they would have issued them to you. Our military likes to say it's "family friendly," but the words often ring hollow to those who are struggling. Ask around your unit. Is everyone as financially secure, as wealthy, as you say you are?
It will be interesting to see if anybody in Washington reacts and responds to it. Especially with the very unpleasant task of dealing with the National Debt Limit at the top of the list of things that those folks need to get done.
Is there any way, Bill, that You could reduce that three page, 2400-word article down to a single page, 500-word summation suitable for publication as a Letter To The Editor, and for use as a flyer at the February 19th RAGE AGAINST THE WAR MACHINE Anti-War Rally in DC [and Elsewhere]?
The best way for every American old enough to think for her or himself to honor Dr Martin Luther King this weekend is to listen to and read the speech he delivered on April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York, “Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence.”
The audio of the speech is available at at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQr_e_P-nBA ; and the transcript is at https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm .
As TIME MAGAZINE put it back in 2019: “The MLK Speech We Need Today Is Not the One We Remember Most”:
“Most Americans remember Martin Luther King Jr. for his dream of what this country could be, a nation where his children would ‘not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’ While those words from 1963 are necessary, his speech ‘Beyond Vietnam,’ from 1967, is actually the more insightful one.
“It is also a much more dangerous and disturbing speech, which is why far fewer Americans have heard of it. And yet IT IS THE SPEECH THAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR THEN–AND NEED TO HEAR TODAY.” Continued at https://time.com/5505453/martin-luther-king-beyond-vietnam/ ; EMPHASIS added.
When reading and listening to it, bear in mind what CNN reported on the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination in 2018 regarding The Media’s reaction and response to “Beyond Vietnam”: “The verdict was harsh. By one count, SOME 168 MAJOR NEWSPAPERS CONDEMNED THE SPEECH. King became persona non grata at the Johnson White House.
“‘He has diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country and to his people,’ The Washington Post declared.
“The New York Times, too, published a damning assessment, titled ‘Dr. King’s Error,’ arguing that it was ‘both wasteful and self-defeating’ to link Vietnam with domestic inequity and unrest.
“‘Dr. King,’ the piece resolved, ‘makes too facile a connection between the speeding up of the war in Vietnam and the slowing down of the war against poverty.’
“The San Antonio Express ruled that King, ‘gripped’ by some ‘strange logic,’ was ‘tragically wrong in his viewpoint.’
“‘If King and his group really want to help themselves,’ it continued, ‘they can show a spirit of support now lacking that will make the impression in Hanoi that America is not greatly divided in its determination to honor the commitment in Vietnam.’
“Others were less measured in their language. Life magazine described the speech as ‘demagogic slander that sounded like a script for Radio Hanoi,’ while James Marlow, in his analysis for The Associated Press, suggested King’s drawing together Vietnam and civil rights was a cynical attempt to reclaim the ‘limelight.’
“‘Some Negro leaders publicly disagreed with these latest tactics of King,’ he wrote. ‘Since he needs all the white and Negro support he can get to start the civil rights movement rolling again, it’s hard to see how he did it anything but injury.’
“‘Martin Luther King Crosses the Line,’ The Cincinnati Enquirer blared, calling his words ‘arrant nonsense.’
“The ‘unctuous’ King ‘has been something of a hindrance to the civil rights movement since he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize,’ they wrote. ‘Since the award, he has specialized in speaking in Olympian tones, rather than addressing himself to the practicalities of the civil rights movement.’” Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/04/politics/martin-luther-king-beyond-vietnam-speech-backlash/
Also bear in mind that exactly one year later to the day, on April 4, 1968, TET 1968 had completely exposed the lies that Washington had been perpetrating and perpetuating about how Great the War was going, and Dr King was dead in Memphis.
"Privates should make more, generals should make less..."
Absolutely. The same is true of CEOs and line employees in the civilian world. And really, no one in this country should be food-insecure, given the overall wealth inside our borders (and in offshore stashes!).
But I didn't realize that such abysmal conditions exist for lower-level members of the military. Truly, shockingly inexcusable!
This is nonsense. Enlisted members like me are very well paid thank you very much. We get extra pay for food, an allowance that covers rent or a mortgage and utilities, extra pay for travel and family separation, life insurance, and health care. Our discretionary income is huge. If active duty troops can't make ends meet it's because of life-style choices. Try it as a civilian without those benefits and tax advantages. You know, a little empathy for those paying your way.
Thanks for your reply.
I'm glad your discretionary income is "huge." And having served in the military for 20 years, I'm familiar with BAQ, SGLI, military health care, and other benefits.
The problem comes for those enlisted who get married, start families, and often live off base. You might call those "life-style" choices, but they are something more than that. Often, getting by requires a second income, such as a spouse working. What if the spouse loses their job? Raising a family on the pay of an E3 or E4 isn't easy.
You know the old joke: If the Army wanted you to have a wife and kids, they would have issued them to you. Our military likes to say it's "family friendly," but the words often ring hollow to those who are struggling. Ask around your unit. Is everyone as financially secure, as wealthy, as you say you are?
and even with this the poverty draft still works.
EXCELLENT new Tom Dispatch piece, Bill.
It will be interesting to see if anybody in Washington reacts and responds to it. Especially with the very unpleasant task of dealing with the National Debt Limit at the top of the list of things that those folks need to get done.
Thanks, Jeff.
Is there any way, Bill, that You could reduce that three page, 2400-word article down to a single page, 500-word summation suitable for publication as a Letter To The Editor, and for use as a flyer at the February 19th RAGE AGAINST THE WAR MACHINE Anti-War Rally in DC [and Elsewhere]?
Nobody asked Leonardo to reduce the "Mona Lisa," Jeff. :-)