Would you say the biggest similarity between Iraq and Vietnam is that whenever we try to build another nation?

Question

we fail?

usarmorsoldier: If we haven't failed, then why are we STILL fighting a war that Bush estimated would take no longer than a year?

Answer 1

It's impossible to create another governmetn by force.
Force can only be used to destroy a government.

After that, it's up to the people of the other country to create a new government. Or the invader just occupies the country as a province or territory and runs it from the invader's existing govt.

Answer 2

the biggest similarities is that there never was overwhelming support for the war in the first place. if you look in the last century of wars in the us in WWI and WWII we were all rallied behind the war and the war cause and also we were allowed to wage a total war and to do whatever was necessary. right now the army (according to many of the troops i've talked to)is not allowed to do much at all and they don't have the manpower to close down the border to not let insurgents get in in the first place. in vietnam i think that we overestimated ourselves and never corrected mistakes that we made and we were always trying the exact same tactics while the enemy evolved there tactics to meet ours. in iraq i would say the same thing but what we need to do there is get more troops in and close down that border then after we can clean up the mess and get them home.

Answer 3

The biggest similarity between Iraq and Vietnam is that the liberal media is trying to loose the war whenever they get a chance. That and the protesters destroying property.

Answer 4

you're forgetting about japan and germany.

i'd say that we did a pretty good job there.

the problem w/ vietnam and iraq seems to be that we are involved in a civil/sectarian war (or whatever you want to call it). this makes the process a lot harder.

also, we had a plan to rebuild germany and japan, in vietnam and iraq there was practically no plan.

Answer 5

I think the only thing is its a war where there is no winner. At what point to you declare a winner? We took over Iraq, And its still going on. We should have handed them the "keys" and left and said if you need any advice....CALL.

Answer 6

The biggest similarity is that the American policy makers do not understand the culture of other nations and try to impose system which suits American interests. Europeans and Japanese accepted it but the Vietnamese did not. And the Iraqis ......... ????

Answer 7

I don't think the idea of building another nation by armed force is right. So the failure is a normal end in these situations. Democracy can not be established by force.

Answer 8

We've assisted in helping build other countries successfully but in this case (and in Vietnam) it's been an entirely different set of circumstances that we weren't prepared for.

Answer 9

The biggest similarity between the two is that we went there. That's it.
Unless you want to call the hole saddam was in an underground tunnel.

Answer 10

No, the similarity is the left de-funding troops and abandoning them again for political purpose by up and leaving... and then take no responsibility for an impending genocide, all to get elected...wow it is like Vietnam....