America 1982-Chapter 470 - 86: It is the Truth, Also a Lie
Martin glanced at Tommy, "Isn’t that so?"
"When I spent a lot of time formulating campaign strategies for Jeff, I uncovered a cruel truth. During the Vietnam War, The Department of Defense, due to a shortage of troops, launched a project called the Hundred Thousand Patriots, which was to meet the troop requirements of the Cold War and Vietnam War periods that followed the Korean War. They lowered the conscription standards that previously required inductees to have at least a minimum IQ of 95 in testing, down to an IQ requirement of only 80."
"Add to that the fervent and impassioned propaganda of the politicians, a hundred thousand young men with low intelligence joined the army out of patriotism. Jeff’s father, Harley Raven, was one of them. In his youth, he had first signed up to join the army but was regretfully turned away because his IQ test showed he only had an IQ of 92, thinking he would never again have the chance to connect with the military. Unexpectedly, the Vietnam War broke out, and at twenty-seven, already married with children, he received another draft notice in his hands, informing him that he met the conscription requirements and that America now needed him to step forward."
"That young man, as naive and cheerful as Jeff, beloved by the neighbors, kissed his wife and son goodbye, and in the name of patriotism, set foot on the battlefield, only to die in Vietnam without any surprise. He thought he and his hundred thousand patriotic brothers would be honored as heroes after their deaths. Do you know what damned title they got? The Idiot Brigade."
"These soldiers were distinguished from other soldiers; within The Department of Defense, these low IQ soldiers had a different standard of benefits. The death gratuity they received posthumously was far less than that of other soldiers, and those living members of the Idiot Brigade also received significantly less in pension totals, at least five thousand less than professional soldiers. Why the discrimination? Because these politicians saw them as fools who could never understand the concept of a different standard." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
"So why single out this Idiot Brigade to send to Vietnam instead of calling up the United States reserves? Because the reserves were a haven for the children of politicians and the wealthy, serving there meant no need to go to the front lines of battle. Those politicians, having received early warnings, quickly cloaked their eligible children in the halo of the reserves—safe and sound, and after victory, they could still boast of having served with honor during wartime. After all, once the war ended, whether they served in the front or the rear wouldn’t matter." Tommy rubbed his somewhat dry eyes and looked at Martin:
"Have you seen a 1987 movie called ’Full Metal Jacket’? There’s a white recruit named Leonard in it, who was tormented and humiliated, slow to react, overweight, and ended up killing a fellow soldier and then himself— he is a reflection of those hundred thousand patriotic soldiers of the Idiot Brigade. The general who initiated the project was finally condemned years later, but what did that matter? He didn’t have to pay any price at all, facing just a few insubstantial questions."
"Who really remembers those people? They might have been slow of mind, but they truly loved this country. But who in this country really cared for them? John Rambo in ’First Blood,’ a finely trained professional soldier by America itself, was treated as a war-crazed murderer upon his return home, so what about such a group of fools who didn’t even know how to resist? Now, those people are old and frail, and if no one speaks up for them, those pure patriots can only die silently with their scars, just like Jeff’s father."
"Jeff is a pure man, he’s the best choice, he is a patriot, he is the son of a patriot, and that’s why I’m helping him. If Congress can be ruled by a bunch of lying cheats, then why can’t there be one true patriot?"
"Think about those patriotic yet foolish young men who died on the other side of the Earth— so stupid they might even get lost as spirits after death, wandering the jungles of Vietnam to this day, unable to return home."
After calmly finishing his speech, Tommy looked at Martin with a hint of sorrow: "What did you want to ask me?"
"F*ck! I wanted to ask if, after Jeff gets elected, can I take the money with him to Washington? I want to f*cking destroy those bastards! F*ck!" Martin said through gritted teeth, as this was the first time he had heard of such a brutal act committed by the United States Government.
Sending a hundred thousand pitiable fools to die in Vietnam like cannon fodder? By his estimation, there would undoubtedly be more fools among the black population compared to whites, meaning a large number of clueless black brothers were tricked into going to Vietnam and died on the battlefield.
In his previous understanding, the worst people were drug dealers, murderers, and thugs. As for politicians who appeared on TV, they might be corrupt or incompetent but seemed much less cruel than brutal drug dealers and murderers.
It wasn’t until Tommy finished recounting the experiences of Jeff’s father and his group that Martin realized that the most cruel drug dealers, the most twisted murderers, the most brutal street thugs, couldn’t compare to the politicians of America.
What kind of politicians can entirely lose their humanity, use patriotic propaganda, and send those who are already leading hard enough lives into battle as cannon fodder?
"The Bible once said, ’If I do not restrain my mouth, the pain of my god I must speak, the suffering of my heart I must express. Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that You set a guard over me?’ " Tommy reached out to pat an emotionally stirred Martin:
"Help this poor, pure good man, help these poor, pure good people," make him look like a tough guy, win everyone’s support, take him to Washington, let him speak out in the Congress at Washington on behalf of himself, his father, and all the pitiful people, the voice they want to hear. Martin, this is what we, should do, the right thing."
"Jeff! Fight for some dignity! Your father’s soul is still drifting in Vietnam, waiting for you to redeem it!" Martin suddenly stood up and strode towards the living room, shouting loudly:
"If you can’t learn, I swear I will teach you the taste of how the Vietnamese treat American captives for a hundred thousand patriotic fools in America! Many of them are still waiting for you to take them home!"
Seeing Martin’s extremely angry expression, Tommy, who was sitting at the dining table, suddenly regained his calm and called out to him, "Martin."
"What?" Martin turned his head, his anger not yet faded.
"What do you think I’m helping Jeff for now?" Tommy asked, with a sardonic smile.
Martin’s Adam’s apple moved, and he spoke, "... For those poor old souls who still love this country to death."
"No, to get money from those poor old souls," Tommy said.
Martin looked like a suddenly deflated blow-up doll, his previous excitement and anger turning into shock at Tommy’s words, and he even stumbled backwards half a step.
"That speech just now was about inciting the listener’s anger, making them forget the speaker’s real purpose, thinking the speaker is one of them," Tommy said to Martin with a smile:
"Lesson two, it is truth, yet it is also a lie."
Martin’s rage had no outlet. He had wanted to annihilate all politicians because of Tommy’s words, but now he felt that Tommy was no different from those politicians who deceived the pitiful! Even the reasons were the same, patriotism!
Only one deceived those people into giving their lives, while the other deceived them into donating money.
Martin opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He took two steps out towards the living room, yet he couldn’t help but turn back, "Boss, why teach me, a black man, all this? Why can’t you just let me truly believe that we’re doing this for America, for those pitiful people?"
"The great ones have achieved immortality, only the base remain." Tommy lit a cigarette:
"Perhaps it’s because, you are the miller of the Hawk family?"
