7 August
'As I have repeatedly made clear, the United States intends no rashness, and seeks no wider war. We must make it clear to all that the United States is united in its determination to bring about the end of Communist subversion and aggression in the area.' _ President's message to congress
Today in 1964, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed as a joint resolution of the US Congress. Without any formal declaration of war, it was used as the legal authority for an escalation of US involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
1. America keeps her word. Here as elsewhere, we must and shall honor our commitments.
2. The issue is the future of southeast Asia as a whole. A threat to any nation in that region is a threat to all, and a threat to us.
3. Our purpose is peace.. We have no military, political, or territorial ambitions in the area.
4. This is not just a jungle war, but a struggle for freedom on every front of human activity. Our military and economic assistance to South Vietnam and Laos in particular has the purpose of helping these countries to repel aggression and strengthen their independence.
President’s message to Congress 5 August 1964
Source: US Congress, Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations, 90th Congress, 1st Session
Red Pepper in print
Get the latest issue of the magazine
Feminist futures: Red Pepper’s feminist special issue: ● Our bodies, our choice ● Is the future xenofeminist? ● Women and the new unions ● Feminists on the anti-fascist frontline ● Plus: Left politics and the generational divide ● Decolonising museums ● Book reviews ● and much more
And you choose how much to pay for your subscription...
Workers unite online
They're logging on to combat lagging labour laws, costly court proceedings, and outsourcing management, writes Gaia Caramazza
Review – Finding a Voice: Asian women in Britain
Finding a Voice: Asian women in Britain, by Amrit Wilson, reviewed by Maya Goodfellow
The political whiteness of #MeToo
We need to confront how the movement is shaped by the power of whiteness, write Alison Phipps
Brexit’s drug problem
For all the talk of free-trade, why is ‘Global Britain’ still behind on drug law reform? By Kojo Koram
