Scars of the Secret War

[@RareEarthSeries]

Thanks to everyone who asked about our Patreon. I'll put out a full video when I get the time, but for those who want to jump the gun and get on board from the start, here's the link: www.patreon.com/rareearth It means a huge deal that so many have asked us to start an account. I never thought anyone would watch these videos, let alone support them.

[@diglarry572]

Rare Earth 🌧

[@jamesvalimont4413]

Not doomed to repeat, imprisoned and brainwashed by industrial milatary complex to repeat , unfortunately for ever if left up to them... prayers to the indiginous people of the world

[@jadendesveaux7452]

My mom is from Laos, she had to flee her home and live in a refugee camp for years before finally being sponsored to come to Canada where she met my dad and had me. The world really doesn’t know what happened in Laos and I think that needs to change, the bombs dropped and the chemicals sprayed still affect the people that live there.

[@usedtomakemesmile]

My story is similar! My dad was a refugee from Laos before he came to Canada. I remember reading Outhine Bounyavong's book Mother's Beloved when I was a kid, and not understanding the full reach and impact of everything that happened. Reading it over as I grew up broke my heart.

[@vinesauceobscurities]

I've read about the Indochinese refugee crisis of the late-1970s and early-1980s. Unlike the current European refugee crisis, this event was largely overshadowed in the West due to being confined to Southeast Asia. The logistics needed to organize camps for these refugees in different countries was monumental, because hundreds of thousands of refugees would flow out every year. At one point some were literally arriving by the boatloads, desperate enough to cross the vast South China Sea. It's good that many of them eventually found new homes, but many more lingered in refugee camps for years, only to return home when Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam finally stabilized in the 1980s and 1990s.

[@jadendesveaux7452]

Buzz LightBeer I hope your not trying to justify my birth, The death toll from the Vietnam war is not worth my birth. The communists killed very few people in Laos because there never was a proper war there, the US bombed Laos because they thought the communists were using Laos to travel into south Vietnam. The vast majority of the deaths are from the American carpet bombing, agent orange use and napalm.

[@debbieebbiebobebbie]

Buzz LightBeer *bought from America.

[@jadendesveaux7452]

Buzz LightBeer yeah I’m not denying that the communists took over, I’m simply stating that the death toll and lasting affects from the American bombing, agent orange and napalm use devastated Laos even though the government is terrible there the civilians didn’t deserve that.

[@--ART3MIS--]

seriously, why do I have to stumble over a channel like this by accident? the content here is outstanding! you should have millions and millions of subscribers. but every cat-video has more viewers. something is seriously wrong with this planet.

[@MrSamulai]

People come to an entertainment platforms like youtube to forget the flaws animal known as man has. You, me and almost 500K others are a growing minority. (holy shit that sounded posh)

[@kikiTHEalien]

The videos are not monetized. There is channel Vexxed, where the creator explains what happened with one if his videos (from millions to virtually no new views immediately after it was demonetized, because youtube stopped suggesting it once it couldn't make money from ads).

[@Dusty_Shoes]

I work in unexploded ordnance removal in the UK, and we're still cleaning up after WW2 and the odd WW1 bomb/shell. These sorts of bomb numbers are just...staggering by comparison. Nobody should have to live with this kind destruction, and less so should their children and their children's children have to carry on fearing for their lives on a daily basis. Love the video, as always. Keep on educating people so that maybe we can see a day where these sorts of horrors aren't inflicted upon innocent people again.

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

Manjunath J It's not just throwing money at the problem. The gear, logistics, and not least training of personnel to do the removal, as well as the inaccessible nature of a lot of areas would mean it would still take decades to clear. It's not always about just spending money and 'fixing it'... And the Agent Orange... That's not going away anytime soon, and how the hell you'd get rid of that, I honestly have NO idea... =(

[@justhuman3977]

I live in Oosterbeek in the Netherlands as a detector enthusiast living on this former battlefield I found so many explosives.. my own backyard is even full of 303 rounds, nearby we dug up 82 german mortar rounds, a small park nearby is called mills forest for all the hand grenades that we found, 2 blocks down the road we dug up 3inch mortar pits with mortars still at the bottom, we found a Hawker Typhoon rocket in the woods not far from here and the list go's on and on even after 75 years... The explosive ordnance removal of the Dutch Army found a German tellermine while dealing with another grenade next to the path I drove on many times when I worked as a lumberjack. It was right there inches from the tire tracks.. We always notify authority's when dealing with explosives.. Off course this is nothing compared to Laos.. But the story of any war just never ends..

[@thepenguin11]

Here in Latvia (where massive battles were), we still have trenches in forests from WW1. And shells we have quite common. You probs could open a museum and fill it with both war relics with just digging up small area. :P If ground could vomit up all the shells/bullets/gun and etc. I would not be surprised if we couldn't walk anymore.

[@SexyBakanishi]

MildModerate wow I thought bombs exploded when they were dropped. What is it exactly that needs cleaning up? I've never heard of any of this, except landmines, until now.

[@nandafaris7468]

Amy G sometimes the bomb fuse don't get triggered so it doesn't explode

[@peterxyz3541]

This series is like a cultural journey of humanity. Like what Carl Sagan did with humanity and cosmos. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@anderazkuna6698]

Man this channel is so great.. you deserve much more recognition

[@CynBH]

Thank you for your intelligence and compassion. This was a beautifully presented history lesson. (And for the record, I was taught in school about the war in Cambodia and Laos, but that was because I had a "rebel" of a history teacher who went off-book and taught us far more about our country's past than the district or state wanted us to learn.)

[@bennylofgren3208]

Buzz LightBeer Bullshit. It's not like the US is their next-door neighbor. Fighting wars by proxy is the cowardly way to do it, never once risking an enemy soldier on your own home soil.

[@charleskuhn382]

I find it astonishing that the US refuses to let go of the Laos debt...

[@y2kman426]

ItsJESUS or HELL You dont help. Go away

[@belisarius6949]

ItsJESUS or HELL Its disgusting how you try to gain views by linking your shitty video on a video about one of the bloodiest war in the last 50 years. Are all Christians this disgusting? Is this what christianity has come to?

[@belisarius6949]

Buzz LightBeer Sources and proof? Please?

[@belisarius6949]

Buzz LightBeer You could have sent me a fucking link too... I guess thats too advanced technology for you...

[@belisarius6949]

Buzz LightBeer I just read it. Are you serious? Thats old. Like...Really old. That was when the war was happening/when it ended. So thats your proof? Seriously? When america kills people for their heritage and religion its ok, but when the USA does it they are the land of the FUCKING FREE AND GOOD. Typical.

[@ouachay]

Thanks for shedding light on my people's story and history. So little is known about our people, our history of fleeing political persecution, and what our people did to contribute to the secret war.

[@RareEarthSeries]

Buzz LightBeer America backed the most evil communists in the region and then turned a blind eye as they killed a quarter of their own population in cold blood. They weren't fighting communism. That's propaganda. They were fighting for supremacy in Asian affairs, using communism as a foil.

[@johnharker7194]

Oh, yeah, the whole reason the US took a Hardline on communism was to make the big bucks. America backed the Soviets in the fight against Germany in WWll. We recognized the greatest threat, and worked with a common enemy to focus on the task at hand. The soviets ended up with a massively higher body count than the Nazis. But US and Canadian schools teach that the lend lease program was a good idea. So when America tries the same tactic on North Vietnam, we are expected to flog ourselves with shame and chalk up the noble fight for South Vietnam as a selfish venture. Why do you think North American Schools teach that the same strategy that was acceptability used against Nazi Germany, was unacceptably used against North Vietnam? You have bought into the domestically produced communist propaganda of North America. Happened to me too.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

Ben Dover Nope.

[@EugeneHerbsman]

We were definitely taught about what happened there, but I don't remember hearing how it's STILL devastating the people there. How horrific.. Thank you for this channel, I should stop binge watching these videos, but they're too damn interesting. Very excited for more to come!

[@kimb.6519]

This video reminded me of Anthony Bourdain's "Places Unknown" episode on Myanmar. At the end of the episode he expresses the sentiment "It's easy for me to sit here and say whatever I want [...] _We_ can go home, y'know. Our lives will go on. _We_ don't pay the price for that show. [...] What happens to the people we leave behind?" I really like the series so far, Evan. Thanks for showing us these places unknown, these pieces of rare earth.

[@stephenvoncrven4319]

@1:41 it struck me "they failed". i wonder how such a powerful nation, never invaded, never saw war, superior led to so many disasters. they failed miserably so many times leaving massive scars to the countries. even with tons of bombs, chemicals, mines, they still failed. a normal person would interpret this as "you are no good in this practice".

[@hedgehog3180]

stephen von crven You're rarely ever going to suceed for a very long time when fighting people in their home.

[@k_tess]

The thing to remember is this, these were wars between U.S. and Soviet/Chinese proxy states. Essentially the U.S. was trying stop the spread of communism. It was not unusual for them to strap bombs onto children and use them as fodder. The average U.S soldier actually believed that they there to liberate these people. Would you want to keep fighting to "free" people who were digging spike pits for you to fall in? The U.S. didn't want harm civilians, at first. When they figured out, that the civilians were the enemy, then shit hit the fan. That's when we started ramping up tactics and started to commit atrocities. Eventually somebody said, "Hey a thousand of these people are not worth a single one of my men. I say, they as a people are not worth being 'liberated'. Let the Soviets and the Chinese do what they will." So the U.S. pulled out. Said peace out. And got the hell out and didn't look back.

[@muzz1255]

I was craving a Rare Earth video and was so happy to see one today. Your videos are amazing and help me learn a lot (I'm graduating college and there's still so much I dont know). Thank you for the amazing video and reminder, and please continue to keep doing what you're doing.

[@grahamwarrender6484]

Wow,wow,wow!!! Not totally surprising that the United States of America has "forgotten" this devastation, is it?

[@amperzand9162]

Unfortunately, it is not surprising. The CIA weren't exactly broadcasting it on TV when they were committing these crimes, and the school system we've got can barely convince people of evolution, let alone pieces of history the government would rather everyone forget about.

[@Dtt4]

Amperzand That's why it's call the Secret War.

[@beaudaniel1370]

what we going to do sweep the whole country with a metal detector? fuck that we got more bombs to drop!!!!

[@bennylofgren3208]

Beau Daniel Yes, you really should. Every single bomb you put there you should also remove.

[@asian_predatorbob5462]

Hey it still isnt as bad as the russian guloge

[@akki015]

Even if the end is good, it looses it's value if the means are wrong - Gandhi

[@ismayonnaiseaninstrument8700]

Do the words of a hypocrite have no value because the speaker is a hypocrite? Gandhi gave useful advice all the same.

[@CheetosReignsAgain]

Yes, I agree, this is a very good channel. So different, full of information, variety and much more material than others like it. It's so well put together. Keep them coming.

[@bofbob1]

And yet, sometimes it is our inability to forget that pushes us to repeat the mistakes of the past and throws us into an endless cycle of vendetta. How many of today's wars and conflicts do you think would end immediately if tomorrow everyone woke up and had forgotten about what "the others" had done to their fathers, mothers, brothers, etc.? There's a lot to be learned from the stories of transitional justice organizations, like truth and reconciliation commissions. It's a balancing act of forgetfulness and memory. At some point, if we are to move towards peace, it has to be, not forgetfulness per se, but let's say memory coupled with a degree of disassociation. To put it simply, if you forget, then you risk repeating the mistakes of the past, but if you don't forget, or at least "let it go", then there will be no end to the current mistake, just each generation furthering the mistake that was begun by their forefathers. It is a double-edged sword. Forgetfulness is what has led to the recent rise of nationalism in my native France and in neighboring Germany. But forgetfulness is also what allowed me as a child to go out on the beaches of Brittany with my German friend and play together on the bunkers there. Their military significance had faded and all that was left was a fun playground for us to write our own stories. Of course, bunkers don't blow up. But that's kind of the point: the mistake in Laos isn't a mistake of the past. It won't be in the past until the remnants of that war stop killing. Until then it is still a mistake of the present, an on-going conflict in a very real sense.

[@royzhu5735]

This was a very good comment to make.

[@cory3100]

It has nothing to do with forgetting and everything to do with MONEY, and POWER. Cant forget something you never knew about, and I promise you the people who knew about this didn't forget.

[@trevoncowen9198]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@ismayonnaiseaninstrument8700]

You make a valid point. I figure that the grudges of the past need to be transcended and forgotten, but... the specter of War and its multifarious nature. Should that also be forgotten? If you as a global people forget it, and the people who would advocate or have reason for war fade away, then maybe, because then the concept of war would become obsolete and outdated. But until then, I don’t think you could forget about it even if you wanted to.

[@pkkayasone3257]

Thanks for posting this... I am the originals first generation of babies that immigrated here to the Philippines and then to the U.S.A. as a baby less than 5yrs old my parents always told me to never touch anything because i could die from bomb!

[@cuseikan]

Absolutely amazing channel! Keep up the amazing work.

[@GuntherRommel]

It seems to me that you're absolutely astonished by what you're finding in Laos- that you were able to make more sense of Japanese war atrocities than what's been visited upon Laos. As though you have been overwhelmed by what you're seeing, you're coming across as less focused than before. After seeing how much sense you were able to make of the Japanese war criminal cemetery, you stare in amazement at the horrors visited upon Laos. I find it chilling, but effective for the narrative at the same time. Thank you for facing these evils, and finding these bright spots.

[@GuntherRommel]

You seem wounded by Laos, and I want to give you a hug and send you maple syrup.

[@RyeOnHam]

The entirety of Japanese actions against China, Korea, the Philippines, and EVERY country they occupied are quietly swept under the carpet. Meanwhile, the American pariahs are decried at every turn. I wish Hadfield would provide a more balanced view on the Asian cultures he brings us.

[@abbkrabbkr3218]

You seem to forget that their crimes are but drops of water in a bucket when compared to America's

[@WeDontTalkAboutJosh]

Not especially, conservative estimates for the civilian death toll in China during Japan's actions there put it over the holocaust, more sweeping estimates put it at multiples. Just the crimes committed by the Unit 731 experiments alone beat out almost anything done since in the levels of pointless, callous cruelty. Make no mistake the US has done shitty things, but suggesting they're worse than WWII Japan is something you can only do if you don't actually know what the Japanese did.

[@abbkrabbkr3218]

The comparison was wrong but if you guys don't watch out you might actually surpass them.

[@jaszi33]

I wonder as a species if our only learning from these atrocities are how 'we' can be more brutal & successful in the fight. Extemely sad & heart breaking to see these scars of war but buoyed by the ingenuity & determination of these people to make the most of what has been abandoned with them. Thank you for your insights, I keenly wait for more. Nameste 💞

[@macrux152__8]

Humanity is both a beauty and a curse to behold to mother Earth.

[@jaszi33]

Very true words and I suspect mother earth maybe tired of us.

[@StrikerMk2491]

Atrocities? That's what we had to be to survive. Blame the Earth, we were made this way. If our environment was always friendly and safe, we would not be so warlike. Tigers and lions aren't ferocious because they chose, they were because they had to, to survive. No different with humans.

[@llantup]

Just when I think you've covered that part of the world enough and ought to move on to another area, I learn something new and begin to think and wonder more. Thank you for bringing us these glimpses into an area that has mostly been ignored by the rest of the world - except in the worst way.

[@kittiekat7819]

I was in high school in the eighties. I certainly remember hearing and reading about the "secret" bombing of Laos in history class and other places

[@tobitsuki]

These kinds of reminders are so important. Thank you for bring these kinds of things to our attention, Chris. You're doing fantastic work :)

[@MatthewLong8]

Bravo sir, Bravo. Your content, message, style, and production quality are very impressive. This channel consistently cover things that REALLY matter to me, and in my opinion are extremely important. The US needs to stop invading countries and supporting oppressive regimes and the wealthiest people need to stop cheating the system through political influence if we want a better future.

[@motherendurance]

...and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more...

[@julijakeit]

praying for this every fucking single day! but not just praying, doing something will only realize this dream.

[@motherendurance]

I so agree! I just adopted a mineclearing HeroRat for my sons 30th birthday. It is a small but real thing, and I am grateful to be able to do *something*. Here is another thought to keep in mind, “'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.'

[@mid1429]

I was thinking you ware quoting laz mizrase I can’t spell it

[@lkhlsom]

i’m so thankful that my history teacher teaches everything he can, including the facts that make america look bad. We learned so much about this war and in forever greatful.

[@sen8301]

This channel is disturbingly underrated. All of this is fantastic.

[@Thejosiphas]

Thank you so much for this! So well made, more people need to see this.

[@praggypopsqa4652]

When an erudite, educated person like you says, "I wasn't taught this in school," it reinforces how far behind the lower classes are. That you were able to tranition into something other than business, speaks to the degree of confidence with which you navigate life. For millenials, I think you ought to be an inspiration. I hope they are watching too. (Class of 1982)

[@ralphballinger2159]

I always enjoy your honest and sobering commentary.

[@broslyons8045]

yet again, another good vid - somber - absolutely depressing, but vital to know, and best short explanation of what I knew only a little of before- glad you ended on a somber note

[@lightwishatnight]

We need more videos like yours. I am humbled and grateful for your work. Laos must recover, and all of us must remember.

[@yux.tn.3641]

your channel needs 1 mil subs…these vids are way too under- rated

[@gogollama]

I proudly announce that I 've watched every single episode and it is awesome. Really love this series!

[@akashrishi2214]

Great content! I stumbled on one of your videos recently and I am watching the from the beginning now. Kudos to work! I noticed one of your comment in previous that you don't monetise your videos but got a ad in the beginning, it strucked odd. I would welcome you to monetise these videos.

[@RareEarthSeries]

I monetize videos now, but only after the season is over. It changes as time goes on, hence the old comments not being up to the times.

[@akashrishi2214]

@@RareEarthSeries Thanks for the reply. Keep up the great work 👍

[@IcedFire89]

I remember learning that the Hmong who were trained by the CIA were promised US veteran's benefits for fighting, but were lucky to be considered refugees by the government afterwards.

[@bluto8561]

Love every video I watch, thank you and keep up the awesome content 👍

[@thaidollas]

This is quickly becoming my favorite KZbin channel

[@Name-ps9fx]

This video is a great first start to remembering. Kudos to you!

[@dinraal-mtg]

this is hearthbreaking! Thanks for the video that can open eyes that were closed!

[@cmhughes8057]

I did learn about this in school, over twenty years ago, but then the history teacher I had taught a lot about the Vietnam war and the bombing of Laos, now, I did not know how bad it was until years later but I did know that Laos was bombed by America as was Cambodia and I met a vet around that time that was dying of agent orange exposure. I am so glad that you are bringing much needed attention to this, like you said, so few know anything about this and they should.

[@Turgon92]

"Find an upset minority group. Train them to rebel. Express concern at the response. Invade to help"

[@KamuiJJang]

rare earth: the history of bombing and destruction in Laos continues to terrorize the population with its war debris rare earth: how dare they not keep these war debris so the rest of the world can learn a lesson Y'all got me in the first half ngl

[@mikeh37]

This an amazing video, the numbers are almost impossible to comprehend. Imagine going for a walk in Canada and dying from a bomb. I had no idea it was so bad there. Thank you for showing us this.

[@eustacia03]

I'm so grateful for this series and this video in particular. By documenting this aspect of modern Lao life you help assure it won't be forgotten, even after the lands are finally restored.

[@Papayalexius]

Another thrilling short. For what's worth, I am happy to hear a reference to current conflicts as being tactically carried out in the same way by the US in such a culturally committed KZbin series. Thank you very much. With the soft power of us media nowadays, it's sometimes harder to convince people that war strategies aren't fake news at all, just because they're obviously secret.

[@ElicBehexan]

I remember the bombing of Laos. My mother and I went to a small town in Colorado, Ouray, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouray,_Colorado and there was a small, but supported group of the Muong there. My mother bought one of their "fairy tale" cloths. In her case, it was the one about the tiger, but there were 3 about the Vietcong coming into the Muong villages for every one of the "traditional" tales. The lady that ran the shop that sold the Muong crafts told us how she discovered these people. How they had originally arrived in the big cities on the west coast and didn't have the skills to survive since they were a rural, farming people. They were farming the mediums and verges of the highways and, needless to say, the city governments and highway administrator didn't appreciate it. I realize that many never knew about the bombing in Laos, but I was at just the right age and at just the right point in school when it was happening.

[@dunzerkug]

Here in the US we covered the secret war for all of 20 minutes as part of US history in high school like 10 years about it wasn't even in the book. In college it was a cliff note in European history when we discussed the end of true colonialism as communism spread in Asia.

[@GTxExotiX]

Your variety in content is amazing

[@natepalmer5714]

Love how you stay objective and dont let your political veiws get int he way. This is a rare thing to day to have both sides of the story equally.

[@martinavaslovik3433]

Peace is an ideal we have derived from the observation that there have been intervals between wars.

[@yux.tn.3641]

in the uk, we study vietnam war in secondary school as well…i think it was mentioned that laos was bombed due to the ho chi min trail? and that the viet cong took advantage of the geography as us troops couldn’t follow them to laos thats about it…

[@Pqloi]

Great job, man! Thanks for sharing this. It's the face of America that is neglected and often hidden.

[@wade0051]

Another excellent video. Well done.

[@thetelemarkdaydream8896]

NVA Ho Chi Minh Trail. They left all their munitions there.

[@TheCellCH]

Another excellent video! Keep it on please

[@sethwinters3556]

R.a the rugged man made a really good song all about agent orange when it was used in vietnam. His father got to experience agent orange first hand.

[@pfrstreetgang7511]

They still don't teach this in public schools. But now that the secrecy agreements have lapsed, ex members of SOG and Ravens are making a concerted effort to record what the Lao and specifically the Hmong experienced in a purely historical sense.

[@melvillecapps8339]

There is an area larger than metro Paris near Verdun, France called the Red Zone. One hundred years after WWI the area is so contaminated by exploded and unexploded munitions, including poison gas shells, that no one is safe to perform any activities there. Soil samples have had as high as 17% arsenic. Outside the Red Zone farmers dig up 900 tons of shells each year.

[@tyler58701]

My sophomore history teacher went quite in depth on the country.

[@DinoMan_6]

Good.

[@TheElectra5000]

Haven't we been repeating it forever already?

[@FugiApples]

Thankfully, this is now talked about in history classes in high school.

[@gumendap]

"Problems cannot be solved by the level of awareness that created them." Albert Einstein

[@TheoJay615]

I've known about the secret wars since I was a kid. It's not just in Laos, but in other nations too. US backed rebellions always lead to blood shed and then, they are forgotten. It's disgusting.

[@patrickday4206]

Remember though Russia and China was also creating these problems. the problem is the strongest nations in history always think it should be done the way they do it. I believe diversity in countries is a good thing just like natural selection it prevents everything collapsing if one idea is flawed.

[@bogglemeister4204]

This was mentioned briefly in a book I read on chemical warfare. In fact the Vietcong used chemical weapons as well as the us though never on the scale at which agent orange was used.

[@kiforcekhan]

The piano piece is called "Sovereign" by Kevin Macleod, if anyone's wondering

[@shibastok]

I was, actually. Thanks :)

[@anonf7770]

Another example of why defending ones border is important. When you cant defend yourself who else will?

[@goobers143]

This video deserves some sort of award

[@FD_Stalker]

Nice job! We want to see more dark and accurate truth of this world!

[@GeorchPz]

You are a source of inspiration for humanity

[@levonvardanyan3478]

I love this channel

[@asanteyadakavenz]

Keeping memories is the biggest trouble causer. Now, this guy is calling for more memorials. 😂😂😂

[@michaelzacariasbenjamingla4651]

Fantastic intro. Imminently hooked.

[@totallynotcheng]

It is kind of crazy to think that many people don't know about this. I grew up with so many stories of my relatives that lived during the Secret War.

[@eibolsoe]

One of your best, Chris.

[@themarblers4399]

Thank you! Simple toughts on a difficult question as post-war.

[@robrocksea]

One of the Fastest Ways to get your videos transcribed is to run your CC through a Translator Program. Then have someone review and do a better Translation. To Reach more find a narrator, your reviewer? and include as a Transcript/CC option. I would recommend Starting with French(More Viewers that would be interested speak/read it), then Spanish. Connect with any of the Cultural Centers or Clubs that speak/read Asian Languages.

[@导演文森吴]

I gained interest into Southeast Asia recently mainly because I’m interested in southeastern funk and rock music from the 1960s. Little did I know about the suffering not only Vietnam went through but all of its neighbors.

[@encellon]

"...otherwise we are doomed to repeat this forever..." Where the average lifetime of complex species on Earth is about 2 million years, and where homo sapiens appeared roughly 300 thousand years ago, we are more likely 'doomed to repeat this' for another 1.7 million years.

[@andrewdavies4604]

I am always astounded that there are still folk who don't know about this. I thought it was the worst kept secret in the history of the Viet Nam war. The injuries from UXB are truly horrendous to witness. The Ravens, by Christopher Robbins, is one of the best books ever written about the Secret War in Laos, and pretty much one of the best on the conflict in S.E.A. Lao is an odd place, a disconcerting fusion or Asian, French, and War trauma. Ate a Bread roll with DairyLea cream cheese once, that had been sat behind glass, in the sun, all day. Oh Man was I Sick............

[@phlyphlo]

In a way its way of healing and moving on from war, but we should not forget. It can hurt to talk about those things.

[@banjomarla4091]

This should be mandatory viewing for all.

[@bukhookee]

Yes they did fail. The US media won't allow the truth about Laos to be known. You ask a normal American where Laos is and they will say "what, LOas?". You ask any American that has served and they will know exactly what you are taking about when you refer to Laos. The US has tried to clean up Laos but all the money goes directly into the pockets of the commie dictators and their families.If you want some good ideas on what videos to do next about Laos I would suggest doing one on the wealth gap between the rich commie families and the everyday poor. You will see a $100k Mercedes rolling by on pot hole filled roads in Laos while some can't even afford shoes. Although if you do a series on this, I would suggest leaving the country before you air that video because your life will be in danger after. Foreign Aid doesn't reach the people of Laos, it goes into the pockets of you know who but can't mutter their names or you will disappear.Another series I would suggest doing is about the illegal logging and deforestation of Laos by Vietnam and China. The Laos commies say it's illegal but they are the ones allowing it to happen so they can sell the natural resources of Laos to get rich and have been doing it since the end of the War in 1976. When there are 50 logging trucks in a row carrying tons of trees going towards the Vietnam border from Laos, you can't tell me that no one can notice that? Again, if you do a series on this, you risk your life.One more thing I want to mention is that they Hydro dams that are being built on the Mekong in Laos are also to benefit the rich commies. The high speed rail that is being proposed is also to the benefit of the Chinese. Lao people can't afford to ride that train.Losing this war meant that Laos is no longer meant for the Lao people, it is now raped by it's neighbors who "won" the war. I have no hate for the US for bombing my country, I only wished they were victorious because now I can never return to live in Laos anymore.

[@twist3d537]

funny i was taught about laos, learned it on a pbs documentary and history channel

[@geixiong5749]

I grew up with that nightmare. I remembered all the dead soldiers that were brought back from the battlefield. All line up in open fields with no one to Claim them. I watched battle raging in the nights..but no where to run. The jungle is just as scare. I haven't forget that Damn useless war .

[@jackhighwood2160]

Powerful. Excellent as ever.

[@ExoSquadOffical]

that opening shot is beautiful

[@skiie]

Thank you for this video.

[@ramennoddle599]

War and aggression will never change, it is an endless cycle. We all just need a common enemy to fight so we can all work together to survive. We will have peace but not for long because people forget. The pain and struggle is lost and forgotten over time and the cycle will begin anew.

[@XXWhambarXX]

If I was going to take part in a secret war I probably wouldn't write my name on the munitions. But thats just me.

[@johnharker7194]

Dan Angus that's because it wasn't a secret.

[@schoolssection]

Lots of those "USA" munitions sure look communist bloc.

[@dillonklasse4980]

My fathers uncle was used as a test subject for agent orange, he and a bunch of other soldiers with darker complexions were ripped from their squads and were told to march into the Nevada desert and keep going until told otherwise. After a couple hours of marching a couple of planes flew overhead and dumped a strange liquid on them and immediately afterward they were radioed back in and met by armed soldiers in hazmat suits. They were kept under quarantine for a few months to see how they reacted to the compound and after they started showing signs of chemical poisoning they were discharged and sent home where they died horrifically, my father said his uncle was in constant agony and bits of bone splintered and forced its way up through his skin when he moved from the couch to do things like use the toilet or take a shower. Supposedly the military buried him in a lead lined coffin.

[@deusexmachina5972]

Best channel on KZbin.

[@bethroesch2156]

I didn't hear about this until I was a Jr in high school and I never read it in a book. Had an amazing teacher who told me this while talking about Nixon lol. It's a story that needs to be shared. People cannot trust the government completely, EVER.

[@Aeyekay0]

It’s a shame what our government put these people through, good video. Any charities in Laos that we can donate to to help?

[@elizabethleung8029]

Apart of me doesn’t want this channel to be found and made mainstream, but I remind myself that when factual and truth centered ideas are formed they should be well known. Amazing job on your presentation and the trust you establish with the audience. This is true journalism.

[@kenknutson1598]

I recommend the book the books by Colin Cotterill. The first is ‘The Coroner’s lunch’. They are sorta medical mysteries

[@ultimatumed]

Fantastic work!

[@WalknTalknStevnHawkn]

incredible as usual

[@creepystares9853]

When my dad was stationed in Germany, we went on a camping trip. Took country roads, way off the beaten path, because we were Americans and could. We discovered a bomb - I have a photo of myself over it - dug up by a local farmer. On the way back to the cars, one of the girls was kicking a rock. It was actually a 40 year old hand grenade. You can guess the rest. I was 12.

[@uolplllojjikko]

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