Iraq = Vietnam ? Increasing numbers of American think so. Who does not?

Question

Recent CNN POLL - 58 percent believe the war in Iraq has turned into a situation like the United States faced in Vietnam. Worse for Bush: 63% oppose the war. As Bush avoids reality, more Americans are killed every day. I never did support this war or this president.

The Alliga: I still think we created this mess by a poorly planned and unnecessary occupation. Guess what, most Iraqis want us to leave.
I don't see any value to creating a political vacuum
and then staying on trying quell a civil war.
How is this in the best interest of the Middle East or the US for that matter ? If people there want to kill us, can it be because of our foreign policy ?
You don't see Switzerland being attacked.

Viet Nam - stop the spread of communism
( and how well did we succeed at that ? )
Iraq - Self defense based on Islamic terror and
attacks on Americans around the globe
( Iraq NEVER attacked the US - the 9/11 folk
came from the Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia)

Viet Nam - 500,000 + troops deployed
Iraq - 130,000 troops deployed
( and in both cases - to what good end ? )

Viet Nam - 50,000 casualties
Iraq - 3,000 casualties
( that makes me feel a lot better !)

Viet Nam - No threats against our homelands
Iraq - Death to all infidels / Islamic Jihad
( Actually you see more of this from the Wahabbis in Saudi Arabia and the Madrassas of Pakistan - our allies. Iraq never attacked us )

Viet Nam - No religious fanatical demands
Iraq - Convert to Islam......or die.
( patently untrue. You have factions fighting between themselves over old scores - they'd like us to go home.

I guess you also fear the big bad islamo fascists too? Perhaps you watch too much Fox News.

Mr Wise: some of us know how to read books.
Some of us served in the military during the Vietnam War. Here is a brief syllibus for you :
The Best and the Brightest ( David Halbertstram )
Sideshow, Kissinger Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia - Shawcross
A Bright and Shining Lie, The March of Folly , Barbara Tuchman, Stanley Karnow's ( sp?) work on Vietnam. I don't watch any television / cable news.

Answer 1

I completely agree with you! The only difference between Vietnam and Iraq is the ongoing mutual killings of sunnis against shiites and vice versa, which is good for the US military and coalitions. Good because as long as the Iraqis are busy killing each others, means less American troops being killed. Look at the numbers, over 50,000 American troops killed in Vietnam and 3000 so far in Iraq.

Answer 2

Let's take a little closer look:

Viet Nam - stop the spread of communism
Iraq - Self defense based on Islamic terror and
attacks on Americans around the globe

Viet Nam - 500,000 + troops deployed
Iraq - 130,000 troops deployed

Viet Nam - 50,000 casualties
Iraq - 3,000 casualties

Viet Nam - No threats against our homelands
Iraq - Death to all infidels / Islamic Jihad

Viet Nam - No religious fanatical demands
Iraq - Convert to Islam......or die.

The only way I can see that Iraq=Viet Nam is if you are using some type of new math or logic based on left wing rhetoric.

Answer 3

I am so happy that you opposed this war and this president. That's great. I'm sure you sleep better at night.

A real big surprise by the way: people don't like war! Wow, that is shocking!

50,000 plus AMerican soldiers died in Viet Nam. I wonder how many people old enough to actually remember the Vietnam war were polled? Or how many polled know how many Americans actually died?

And who is avoiding realtiy? Millions of muslims would like to see you die. Reality. The U.S. gave the people of Iraq the chance to live in a democratic society. Reality. They have chosen to fight with themselves over centuries old sectarian differences, which happen to be meaningless really since their is no Islamic Caliphate. Reality. Thousands of Sunni and SHiite Jihadis are now busy killing eachother rather than focusing on killing us. Reality. Iran now has to worry about a civil war spilling into their own country, rather than building nukes. Reality. I am sick of self-hating Americans who want to blame themselves and Israelis for the murderous, violent , dispicable acts of practitioners of a radical ideology based on the rantings of a madman. Reality.

Answer 4

As the British learned our Revolutionary War, you can't win a war on foreign soil. General Green lost every battle against the British in the South, and yet the battles severely depleted their supplies, and the foreign soil exposed them to mosquitoes with disease, high humidity, and and sheer heat.

Ho Chi Minh defeated our own troops in Vietnam by making sure that his troops had constant supplies, even when they were losing the battles. We didn't lose a single battle in Vietnam, but still turned tail and ran because we couldn't support a war in a foreign land.

In Iraq, the enemies and the allies look alike, who are we fighting? I don't think the soldiers know...I say, get out and let the chips fall where they may.

Answer 5

No comparison. But thank God there was a republican president to get us out of VietNam.
Contrary to the beliefs of some, a war on foreign soil can be won. Did Germany and Japan not happen?
There are several generations of Radical Islamists who want to kill all of us. Wake Up!!!!!

Answer 6

Those who think so were never in Viet Nam, perhaps listening to some in the media would lead you to believe this fallacy!!

Answer 7

Many Americans get their opinions from the media, if the media had not mentioned the similarities, hardly anyone would think it. Many people polled were not even living during the Vietnam conflict, where would they get their information?

Answer 8

I have opposed Bush since day one.Since the republican primary I opposed this man. He is the epitome of evil government policy. I do not understand why people fail to see this.

Answer 9

Largely yes.
War is like fighting. You can win if you punch somebody in the face and break their will to fight.
Iraq is like a police action, which is like a shouting/shoving match: it's hurtful, but undecisive.
We're not going to reach the point of punching our adversaries there in the face, so it's going to be more of the same.

Answer 10

It's starting to come true... the Democrats are ready to surrender and withdraw... de-funding all help to Iraq... So History is repeating itself.