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Politics : Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Kerry -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Chas. who wrote (15843)	4/18/2004 7:03:04 PM
From: the navigator	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 81568

Chuck, With a couple of exceptions, I agree with your assessment. Politics did play a huge role in Viet Nam. But you can be sure politics is also at the core of our conflict in Iraq. Maybe the only time politics isn't involved is when we're fighting for our very lives, and that is not the case here. People can argue that the "war on terrorism" is us fighting for our lives in Iraq, but I don't believe that. It's just another way for them to get my support. I wish to god we could undo the last year and start over in a sensible way to protect ourselves and quash Al Qaeda and Bin Laden. Second, there are many similarities between where we are now in Iraq and where we were in the early 1960's in South Viet Nam. Politics are substantially different, and yet they are substantially the same. And its still our leaders pursuing their own agenda while trying to make us believe its what is best for the U.S. Ah the domino theory...how we all bought it.

To: Chas. who wrote (15843)	4/18/2004 7:44:16 PM
From: Alan Smithee	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 81568

Chuck, I think we're on the same page here. My initial point was that the Viet Nam did not win the war for the North Vietnamese. They carried out an effective guerilla campaign, but the VC alone did not, and never could have done more than be an efficient terrorist force. The US didn't understand its enemy, which was directed by Ho Chi Minh and Gen. Giap. Our leaders had no concept of how strongly the North Vietnamese believed in a unified Viet Nam and the lengths they were willing to go to to achieve that goal. The NVA was an incredible fighting machine. These people carried tons upon tons of food, weapons and ammunition of freaking bicycles down the Ho Chi Minh trail. The were organized and fought hard. Ask anyone who fought in in the Ia Drang Valley. Our leaders didn't understand what we were up against - the history of the people, the politics of the situation and the will of the people we were up against. Viet Nam had been occupied off and on for centuries, and they were willing to fight as long as it took, and to lose as many lives as it took, to win. As you note, we weren't willing to do that. Our leaders lacked the guts to do what was necessary once they'd committed us to the war. We lost the war, but the North Vietnamese won it as well. Just by outlasting us. That's my point. My other point is that the insurgency in Iraq is similar to the VC in North Viet Nam. They can blow up some trucks, kill some troops, harass us, and make life difficult. But if we stay the course there, they won't win the war. Only an organized army can do that, and Iraq doesn't have one. So, what it really comes down to is, are we willing to stay the course and do what is necessary or are we going to bow to political pressure and cut and run? If we do, watch out, cause every arab state out there from Syria to Saudi Arabia will know they can walk over us at will, as will Bin Laden Al Queda.