Staughton Lynd was one of the principal intellectuals and activists making the radical argument that the U.S. intervention in Vietnam was illegal under domestic and international law. Lynd was uncompromising in his courageous stance that the U.S. should immediately withdraw from Vietnam, and that soldiers and draftees should refuse to participate in the war based on their individual conscience and the Nuremberg Principles of 1950.
Lynd did not just write about opposing the war, he was one of the chief proponents of direct action and civil disobedience to confront the war machine at the university, in the halls of power, and in everyday life through refusing to pay income taxes.
As Staughton Lynd’s speeches, writings, statements and interviews demonstrate, there were coherent and persuasive arguments against the war in Vietnam based on U.S. and international law, precedents from American history, and moral and ethical considerations based on conscientious objection to war and an internationalism embraced by American radicals which said: “My country is the world, my countrymen are all mankind.”
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"Staughton Lynd led a truly exemplary life." —Noam Chomsky
"This collection could not come at a more important moment, in the wake of Staughton Lynd’s death, documenting his tireless writing and speaking to end the cruel US war of aggression against the Vietnamese people, an important intervention at this time of United States’ renewed war mongering in the South China Sea." —Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, writer and historian"Over the course of their long and fruitful lives, Staughton and Alice Lynd have modeled what it means to be engaged citizens of a democracy. This rich collection of Staughton's writings and speeches in opposition to the Vietnam War affirms his place in the front rank of the American radical tradition. Trenchant and scathing, they have lost none of their power in the ensuing decades." —Andrew Bacevich, author of On Shedding an Obsolete Past: Bidding Farewell to the American Century
"My Country Is the World is a brilliant and incisive text, taking us back to Staughton Lynd's days at the leadership, politically, personally and even spiritually, of the anti-Vietnam War movement. Lynd was the voice of the deep sentiments for peace, beyond the usual left-of-center opposition to the very heartland of opposition. He found that heartland before any others, and his contribution was vast." —Paul Buhle, Senior Lecturer, Retired American Studies, Brown University"My husband, David Mitchell spent two years in jail for challenging the draft based on the principles established at Nuremberg after WWII. The Supreme Court ruled against hearing his case however, Justice Douglas, in a dissenting opinion, said that his case raised “sensitive and delicate questions” that should be heard and addressed. David and I greatly respected and admired the work of Alice and Staughton Lynd during the Vietnam period and throughout their lives.Luke Stewart’s collection of Staughton Lynd’s writing, speeches and statements is an important reflection of that tumultuous period and provides deeper insight into the growth of the anti-war movement. It is a valuable addition to the literature of the period." —Ellen S. Mitchell"Stewart has assembled a remarkable collection of speeches, writings, FBI files and organizational platforms that not only document Lynd's legendary opposition to the Vietnam war but places him in an American radical tradition. This collection stands out among the growing number of works on Lynd. It provides the most comprehensive overview of his anti-Vietnam war years and serves as a resource of primary documents masterfully placed in historical context. Lynd's principled scholarship and activism, and Stewart's agile presentation of it, provides inspiration for generations of yesterday and today. A first-rate, exemplary work." —Carl Mirra, author of The Admirable Radical: Staughton Lynd and Cold War Dissent, 1945-1970"This treasure trove of rare and previously unpublished letters, speeches, interviews, essays, and manifestos gives depth and life to the most vibrant antiwar movement in U.S. history; and it does so from the perspective of one of its greatest and most brilliant activists, Staughton Lynd. What a fabulous contribution to public memory of a vital, but much forgotten, past." —Christian Appy
Other books of interest
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Howard Zinn Speaks
by Howard Zinn -
Vietnam
by Howard Zinn -
The United States, Southeast Asia, and Historical Memory
Edited by Caroline Luft and Mark Pavlick -
Vietnam: The (Last) War the U.S. Lost
by Joe Allen -
America as Overlord
by Hal Draper