American Maoists: "The Vietnamese ought not to let any of them in." Yes, Challenge really said that. “The Vietnamese ought not to let any of them in."
This truly stunning slogan in favor of a Chinese wall for north Vietnam, while it may win high praise in some circles as an example of "Mao's thought," will not win much approval anywhere else. It may be, of course, that the editors of Challenge will enjoy the cynical laughter of the State Department which has been seizing the passports of persons whose pacifism has been intensified by visiting north Vietnam.
Finally, it should be noted that Challenge misrepresents the facts when it claims that the left wing of the antiwar movement has switched its opposition to the American imperialist aggression in Vietnam. The main slogan remains, “For immediate withdrawal of the American troops." .
Heavy pressure is of course being exerted from the right to water this down. But those exerting the pressure in this direction have not succeeded up to now. This is shown by the preparations now underway for the April 15 Spring Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam. If the pressure has been successfully resisted, it must be added that no credit for this goes to Challenge.
It is too bad that Challenge and the American Maoists under its influence have chosen to stand on the sidelines, following an ultraleft sectarian policy, rather than join a united front in opposition to the dirty colonial war being conducted by American imperialism in Vietnam.
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