Why do people think we could have " won" in Vietnam and why do they think we can win in Iraq?

Question

Have we learned nothing?

Chainsaw: The Nazis used to say the German Army was stabbed in the back on the verge of victory too, in 1918, by those November Criminals at Versailles. Your remarks sound kind of similar.
I was in the Navy then and don't remember it that way at all.

Maxx P: I take no pleasure in the destruction and loss and waste of lives and no pleasure in seeing our nation led over the edge of a cliff. Its the leadership I hold accountable for getting us into this quagmire. I feel a patriotic responsibility to call this war the way I see it. Like Vietnam, we have betrayed ourselves in an exercise of pure folly.

LeAnne: from the Vietnamese perspective, we ( the US) were no better than the Chinese, French, or Japanese who in turn, invaded and occupied Indo China. Even if we killed a couple million of them, we still had to leave - crowding into helicopters as Siagon fell.

Johnny Bravo: Woulda Coulda Shoulda - but the fact is we didn't. Do you honestly think we have any real measure of control in Iraq today? Its like the Titanic slowing down to take on a little ice.

Pyscmixer: I am a little confused here. Help me out. Did I miss something? Did Iraqis attack the US? Freedom? And what kind of freedom did you mean.? Can you elaborate a little? If you mean freedom for a civil war and sectarian violence then maybe I will pass.

Answer 1

There are several examples in history of the superpower losing a war everyone thought they would just walk through. Vietnam is one of these. The VC knew that if they could just hold out long enough, the US would just go away due to exhaustion. The same is true in Iraq; the populace knows we as a citizenry will start to DEMAND the troops come home because we are tired of the losses.

Another example is our own revolution against Britain. Washington knew if he could keep the army together the Brits would eventually get tired of throwing away men they needed on European fronts and go away. That's pretty much what happened. It didn't hurt that we had French support, but the end was inevitable for Britain -- and us. It is impossible to fight a population of insurgents without doing too much damage to those who support us in the region. See also: Vietnam, Afghanistan.

Why do people think we can win? They don't study political science and history -- I do.

Answer 2

If you actually study Vietnam, we had all the ability to win. We never lost Vietnam from a military stand point. Nor did we take the actions that would have done so. The Best example is the Rolling Thunder air campaign. Lot of effort with poor results. Not due to bad pilots or planes, but politics. Not allowed to bomb missile sites. Not allowed to destroy North Vietnam airfields & planes on the ground. Limits on route and weapons from DC instead of the field. Not allowed to attack Soviet & Chinese ships bringing fuel & weapons. It was not until Nixon took the leash off that, Air power brought the North to the peace table through strength.
Tet was a Tactical victory for the US. The VC were wiped out in 1968. They were destoryed as a fighting force by this action. The Navy's Game Warden & Market Time operations had stopped most coastal smuggling Day & night. The Rivers were then out the enemies control as a supply & hiding area. It was lack of will at home that lost Vietnam...........

Iraq is nothing like Vietnam. There is no Micro mangement. There is no Soveit or China like outside support. The people don't support the insurgents for they are the most common target of them. The Insurgents Lack the men or resources of the NVA or VC. They have lost in every open battle they have engaged. Thus they have used the IED and car bomb as the weapon of choice. Again only lack of will, stop us from winning. We have achevied more in 3 years than in any other campigan. In a Month we wiped out a Army, travel 300 miles and took Baghdad. We overthrew its leader And the Bath Party. We Have put a Government together from scratch on democratic principles. Given freedom to women & Kurdish & other non Sunnis. We have gotten there oil pumping, school rebuilt, and put men back to work. They have written a constitution faster than we did our own in the 1780's. Built a Army & Pollice force from scratch. Stopped WMD projects, and are providing a buffer to Iranian Expansion plans. As I said we are doing a lot very well. But that does not make for cool headlines on CNN. Bombs & bodies do.....

Answer 3

We could have won but they didn't want to do what it would take.Same as in Iraq now.Do you not realize that in half the time of Vietnam and the same amount of time as Iraq,The United States along with very few allies conquered Europe,Africa,South East Asia,The Philippines,The Marshalls and Japan.Both Vietnam and Iraq would have been won and over if they would let the generals fight the wars instead of politically correct politicians and that includes the idiot president no matter which one it is

Answer 4

In Vietnam, the TET offensive was a huge failure militarily for the VC but they did manage for American opinion to change against the war and ultimately led to our withdrawal from Vietnam...so if we had leaders who were 'leaders' then we would have not withdrawn without completing the job...We have won in Iraq in case you haven't noticed...we just haven't been able to keep the peace between two groups who hate each other...

Answer 5

We could have won in Vietnam. Support from the government was dwindling and there were no objectives. They were trying to win by attrition...and that wasn't going to work. Towards the end of the war too many Democrats feared pissing off the Chinese.

The Iraq War has already been won. Our objective was to get a democratic form of government established there...and it has happened. We're just stabalizing it now.

Answer 6

Boy what a warped bunch of hogwash.Most of you are spouting crap that you know absolutely nothing about.
Here is a bet,,, step up to the plate if you were even alive during Vietnam,, bet it isn't even half of you.

Maybe you kiddy's should spend more time talking to your daddy's, or was it your grandfather that fought in Vietnam??

Anyone that thinks for one second that we were only weeks away form winning anything in Vietnam has absolutely no sense of reality. When the Tet offensive ended there were over 100,000 North Vietnamese regulars positioned all over the reagon ready to take over the fight. We were winning,,,,,, my ares!!!!!

Answer 7

You cannot win every major battle and not win the war - at least not unless North Vietnamese Propaganda and the anti-war nut bags lose it at home.

The TET offensive in 1968 absolutely devastated the Viet Cong. A United States victory was inevitable - but the media touted the TET offensive as evidence of the increasing strength of our enemy and downplayed the fact that they were totally defeated in every major battle which took place.

Have we learned nothing?
If we cut and run again - the answer is YES.

Answer 8

You can't win on foreign soil. Ask the British who tried to win on our soil. They won all but three battles and still lost the war. All the natives have to do in any given circumstance, is deplete resources of the attacking forces. Look at what the Russians did with Napoleon.

Answer 9

wow good point. What was the last war the Americans auctually won without murdering millions of civilians? And why do people think not killing perople is a matter of socalism and consumerism?

Answer 10

I knew we would lose Vietnam just like I know we will lose Iraq too. Shame is once again coming to the USA.