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The Pentagon Papers

By Skip Roberts

I cannot emphasize enough that we must bring home the truths of the Pentagon Papers. The revelations of Dr. Ellsberg show clearly, that after the people of Indochina, the American people are indeed the greatest victims of imperialism and our military adventures overseas. Throughout the papers, one can feel the arrogance and the contempt of the class of the elite, who have run this country's foreign policy as their own private chess game for the last three decades, towards the American people and even towards their fellow elite elected as members of Congress to represent the people.

For the Achesons, the Rusks, the Taylors, the Dulleses, we are all pawns, interesting ones to be sure (as the popular liberal sentiment would have it), on a global chess board that we are too ignorant or immature to be allowed on.

The idea of foreign policy belonging to the people; that we should be allowed to have some say in deciding our own destiny; is rejected out of hand with a condescending and knowing smile. After all, how can you possibly balance the "no doubt sincere, but misguided" wishes of the American people against the combined technological input and feedback of all these visiting professors from Cambridge and the "think tanks". Pragmatic, problem-solving Camelot always knew best for us. Our only role was to be manipulated to provide electoral majorities for the cardboard fronts that pass as leaders. Even the scenario around the disclosures was revealing as to the priorities of certain people. While McGovern and McCloskey sat conveniently and quietly on their copies, as the Times labored 3 months to edit them, and additional thousands died; it only took Mike Gravel of Alaska four days after receipt to lay his neck on the line and reveal what he had in the marathon all night session, as other "leaders" clucked their disapproval on his breaking the Senate rules.