JFK Assassination Plus General Discussion & Debate > JFK Assassination Plus General Discussion And Debate

Ed Lansdale, prototype of the "Ugly American"

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Richard Rubio:
Lansdale, inspiration for the Ugly and the Quiet American.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dL_31Yh0NM
--- Quote ---EDWARD LANSDALE, PROTOTYPE FOR 'UGLY AMERICAN,' DIES
By Bart Barnes
February 24, 1987

Edward Geary Lansdale, 79, a retired Air Force major general who spent most of his career as a counterinsurgency specialist in the Philippines and South Vietnam, where he developed the doctrine that communism could best be defeated by "winning the hearts and minds of the people," died of a heart ailment Feb. 23 at his home in McLean.

Gen. Lansdale was an influential and often controversial figure who helped shape U.S. policy in Southeast Asia at critical junctures during the 1950s and 1960s. He was an assistant for special operations to secretary of defense Robert S. McNamara during the early years of the Kennedy administration when vital decisions were being made to commit U.S. support to the Saigon government in fighting the Viet Cong in South Vietnam.

As special adviser to the Philippines defense minister, Ramon Magsaysay, he directed the successful campaign against the communist-led Hukbalalhap guerrillas during the early 1950s.

Read more at:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/02/24/edward-lansdale-prototype-for-ugly-american-dies/d2ff2042-05c8-4f1d-b12d-972bf8338b14/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0c51646de42d
--- End quote ---
Full Movie:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRC2E46fFs0

Barry Pollard:
Having not read the book, the one JFK liked, I have to hope that it is very different from the film and correct me if I'm wrong but
the Brando part is not the same as the one based on Landsdale in the book.  Interesting watch but boy, that narrative is so loose with the truth.
You have to see and hear the film's Diem character, it's Thai's Paul Lynde.
Also, who would the king be representing who visits the country, LBJ? I have no idea.

Did you know that there was attempt on Macnamara's life in 'Nam?
Don't ask me the courageous young man's name who almost made it but you might like to look it up.

Unless your ultra curious, I would pass on the interview below, for me I learnt next to nothing.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfS62Fb3RoQ4hours of drivel.

Richard Rubio:
It's complex history that would take, at least for me, some research... also, out of all of this, the Peace Corps was initiated. The Kennedy Administration is known for that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_American     (<--- The book which the movie is based on)


--- Quote ---The book caused a sensation in diplomatic circles, and had major political implications. The Peace Corps was established during the Kennedy administration partly as a result of the book.[citation needed] It was one of the biggest bestsellers in the country, has been in print continuously since it appeared and is one of the most politically influential novels in all of American literature.[1]
--- End quote ---

Richard Rubio:
Lansdale did have some of the "love for the common people" in how he operated, this is so. He felt that to win against an enemy, say the Communists for example in the Philippines, you have to win the heart of the people. Maybe I can expand on this later.

Barry Pollard:
In Vietnam, "the communists" were the people. That's why we instituted the client regime because winning a fair election was just not going to happen.
That same regime was killing Buddists for years( the vast majority of ordinary people were Buddist), it's only when it gained so much publicity with the priests that we started to worry about it.
Brando going off on his old freind because he thinks he's turning commie on him is probably one of the better scenes but the whole premise is just so ridiculous.
There's even a reference to NSAM111 in there, where "Diem" finds evidence of "communists guns" giving the US the excuse to bring in the real heat. the reality was that from 62-65 a study found only 2% of arms were foreign, the rest came from us, captured from us
Forming a free society where a country is allowed to use it's resources to benefit it's own people and trading with anyone it likes is not something that can be tolerated, that's the real threat to the US, that's our problem with Cuba, Vietnam and many, many others in a nutshell, we forced them to turn elsewhere because true democratic societies are no benefit to us, that's why we don't have one and never will.

Scoll down to the notes on "Ugly American"(the poster) then back up if you want to learn more on Galula
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/93073500-9459-3bbb-a3e5-cde7a1cc2559

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