Since their is alot of people trying to compare the current war with vietnam i want to see what opnions are?

Question

out their about Vietnam. I have studied the war for years and have some very strong opnions about it, and now i want to see how others feel. Who won the Vietnam war, or the American war as they call it in Vietnam or the second indochina war as i have heard others call it?

Answer 1

The Vietnam War was strictly a political war and we had our hands tied, meaning we could not fire unless we were
fired upon, we were not allowed to bomb certain areas of Vietnam and there was absolutely no military leadership
present. In Iraq and Afghanistan has been given over to the military to conduct operations in and the politicians
are out of it, that is what pi**es some of them off.
In Vietnam, the US Armed Forces won the war, it was lost by the anti-war commie bastards and the commie news media and some of the politicans in Congress.
A North Vietnam general will tell you the same thing that I have written. Hanoi John Kerry helped the communists,
by leading the Vietnam Veterans against the war and 2/3 of these idiots had NEVER been in Vietnam or even in the military. Hanoi John Kerry went to Paris in 71 or 72
while still a member of the US Navy Reserves and had talks with the North Vietnam Delegation to help end the war.

Answer 2

What were the objectives of the US in aiding the South Vietnamese government then?

If it was to defend its system of government (capitalism) then the US lost the war to the Communst North Vietcongs who eventually re-united the country. They were fighting for nationalism - a much greater motivation; the US and corrupt South Vietnamese were fighting to preserve their own system and way of life which generally benefitted the minority of business-class Vietnamese - why should the exploited, the poor or the peasant care for wealthy corrupt countrymen or foreign governments?

The Vietnam War has to be judged from this point of view. Anytime you count body bags, it's a clear sign of defeat - this was what Gen Westmoreland presented to the US government then to attempt to demonstrate that the US was winning.

The war in Iraq may result in the fall of the elected new Iraqi Government if/when the US-UK troops pullout - that's why determining a timetable is risky. If the newly installed government do collasped, it would be seen as a US failure.

Much depends on how the US will handle the Iran issue (nuclear program; Israel) because Iran is the real powerbroker in Iraq.

Saddam's predicted that Iraqi's cities will be Vietnam jungles for the US - he was not wrong. Iraq is even more complicated because of the rivalries between the different factions divided along religious lines and loyalties to different masters with their own agenda for the MidEast region.

Answer 3

Each war is a unique experience. The comparison between Iraq and Vietnam is primarily used by idiots trying to prove the US cannot achieve a military victory in Iraq.

What most people forget is that the US was not militarily defeated in Vietnam. The US withdrew from Vietnam based on a political decision. So when people say "the US was beaten" all you have to do is ask "ok what was the battle in which the NVA/VC defeated us?" You'll hear a long silence then lol.

Answer 4

Vietnam is the only war that was not won by Americans and it might happen in Afghanistan and Iraq because people do not American presence and to support the governments that were established under their regime.

Answer 5

The only comparable thing is the anti-war folks and their tiresome rantings and the media lapping it up and the Democrats doing a cut & run.

The actual war, the political situation, the cultures involved, the commitment and support of the peoples of the country involved, etc are all so completely different there is no comparison.

Answer 6

participant international war games. the United States vs Vietnam, 2nd place.

Answer 7

One difference - when the US left, S. Vietnam was taken over by a government and the civil war ended -- when we leave Iraq, we are likely to make the civil war worse.

Answer 8

Both wars are resource wars started under false pretenses, fought by the lower middle class to enrich the wealthier elements in our society. If you are fighting either one, you are a fool. If I had to do Nam over, I'd be a Canadian now.

Answer 9

America lost Vietnam and it should have taught them that no matter how rich and technologically advanced you are, you cannot control the destiny of other people's countries by sending the army in and napalming everyone.

Now we see them losing in Iraq and Afghanistan for the same reasons.

Answer 10

in the 70's and 80's people thought we lost that war.

with the fall of Communism, it appears we actually won it!