The Vietnam War, prior to the Afghanistan conflict, was the United States’ longest arena of combat.

That conflict has been played out in movies from the 1970s, which was, in fact, soon after it ended. Although less common nowadays, it is a popular subject for Hollywood to appeal to the market that likes machine guns and helicopter gunships.

Despite the plethora of movies that both highlight the prowess of the Vietnamese guerrilla fighters and the actual army of north Vietnam, none has addressed the origin of the conflict and what caused it.

Vietnam was one country. It was invaded by the Japanese during the period that France was occupied by Germany. Germany and Japan, as you know, were allies in World War II. Vietnam was a colony of France.

During the occupation of Vietnam by the Japanese, there was significant opposition in the form of guerrilla fighters made up of citizens of Vietnam. This movement was funded by the American Government, which was at war with Japan and the other axis powers.

The leader of the Vietnamese movement was a man known as Ho Chi Minh. He was without question an ally of the United States. His original declaration of independence mirrors the United States of America’s own.

After the end of World War II, Ho Chi Minh wanted independence from France. He requested assistance from the United States, who refused because France was, and still is, an ally of the United States.

This resulted in Ho Chi Minh requesting assistance from Russia, then known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The end result was the separation of Vietnam into two countries — North Vietnam, communist and South Vietnam, a democratic State.

France ended up in a military conflict with the Soviet Union-funded forces of Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh and very soon realised this conflict could not be won.

The Americans were invited in by the Government of South Vietnam to assist with fighting the North Vietnamese, the French fled, the Americans stayed on, and the end result was a lot of movies showing America losing to a bunch of farmers with AK-47 rifles.

I imagine most people know of the Vietnam war. However, few understand that it was a French conflict, that Vietnam leaders were never really communist, but rather became communist in an attempt to get assistance to free themselves from European colonialism.

Why is this history lesson important? Because most of our citizenry who understand why we are in the state we are, are dying quickly.

This results in everyone wanting to believe that our crime and gang crisis is as a result of only poor economic management, social injustice, and a sloppy education system.

It is indeed part of the reason why we are how we are.

However, if we choose to continually ignore the history of our gangs it will not improve.

The gang crisis began because of political warfare.

This is a fact, whether we love it, like it, or dislike it.

If we accept this and teach history to those too young to remember the origin, but who are actors in the fight against gang domination, they may begin to understand the epidemic.

Let me explain.

The forced inter-dependence between politics and criminal elements is real, and it’s not really the modern politicians’ fault.

I had a conversation recently with a man desiring to enter the political arena. He has never been a candidate before. I asked him what is he going to do about the gang issue if he plans to win the seat. He said the gangs can’t help or hurt him to win the seat. He didn’t see the relevance.

This is a seat with four gang strongholds. I said to him, “If you have them around, you will isolate the good voters.”

“So I won’t associate,” he said.

Then I told him, “But they won’t allow the community to vote.”

He had no answer.

This power is real and it had its birth in the 70s.

Do you remember that iconic photo in 1978 with Michael Manley, Edward Seaga, and Bob Marley?

Well there were a few other guys up there. Have you researched their names? Have you researched there resumes?

You need to.

They were serious participants in the political war that was going on.

You see, our history doesn’t have this period as a civil war. It just speaks of violence.

Those men were not just activists or gangsters. They were participants in a civil war. They were fighting for the very same parties we vote for.

The question is: Were they fighting for a real cause or were they just common criminals?

If we don’t deal with this issue once and for all we will never truly be able to create a strategy that works.

The Vietnamese conflict was misunderstood from day one. In reality, they were not really communists, they were not really even fighting a real country as South Vietnam did not even exist until 1955. It was only formed because of the conflict.

However, how many of us even know this?

It’s common knowledge, but then it’s not, is it?

It’s not really that different in respect of our recent history. This, in respect of the silence of its discussion. Is this why we can’t seem to make any headway? Is it that we are what we were? Or is it that the activists of the 70s who choose violence over reason were just common criminals?

This requires analysis.

The strategy we choose to fight the descendants of the 70s’ shame will be determined by the study of that very same disgraceful period of our history.

The silence on the subject is deafening.