Who still believes the Vietman was was worth it?
84695
Thought so when I went, found out different when I was there and do not believe it now.
927641
i do not think so,I hope we learned our lesson from back in 1860-1864. there were more soldiers killed in it,than all the other wars combined. at least up yo Viet Nam .
1008329
Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong here - but I think one of the major differences is that the Iraqi people ARE indeed willing to change their way of life, adopting democracy, whereas the Vietnamese actually wanted to keep their communist government in tact so there was no will on their part to change. That's why we lost then. I mean, going back to the basics, in order for things to change, the will must come from both parties, otherwise it'll just be communist and dictatorship all over again. If we come in Iraq forcing our democratic ways on them, that wouldn't make us any different from Hitler. I think the Iraqis are actually willing to adjust.
157123
I have uncles that fought on both sides of the war, and can write a book that will contradict most of the answers before me. Saving all the writing, I'll give a digested version.\n\nThe war was not just about Americans fighting communism. It was a common people fighting each other for how they though their country should be. It was very much a civil war, and lots of Vietnamese lost their lives on both sides fighting for what they thought was right.\n\nSaying that something could have been done to ensure victory for ARVN and American forces indicates a gross lack of knowledge about what was actually happening in Vietnam because victory over the communist forces was ALWAYS available at any time. \n\nThe South and Americans were never allowed to win the war. The VC base of Cu Chi (the tunnels) is a good example of this. Cu Chi is about 20 miles from downtown Saigon, and close enough to launch missles into Saigon every night. ARVN and American forces wre forbidden to enter the area eventhough every aspect of that VC base was known and more than enough resources was available to clear it at any time. You cannot win a war when it is fought like this.\n\nThe North NEVER had the ability to win the war. The NVA and VC forces never won a major battle and could not hold a position against ARVN or American forces. NVA and VC forces had a fraction of the armaments and equipment and easily overwhelmed by the resources and firepower available to ARVN and American forces. \n\nThe Tet offense was a military FAILURE for the NVA and VC forces. The VC forces was destroyed as a fighting force and the NVA exhausted most of their armaments during the Tet offense. The government and history book try to tell a different story tomake the NVA and VC forces as more formidable opponents.\n\nThe ARVN and American forces in Vietnam didn't loose the war. The American politicians did by deciding that the war not useful anymore.\n\nSo what can be done to win the Vietnam war? The war was never really lost. Communism is taking it's last breath in Vietnam after ruining the country for many years. Now, all the Vietnamese people want Americans back and not just the South. Instead of fighting to hold part of the country, we can now vacation and do business with the whole country. The communist politicians in Vietnam lost their war too.
286965
actually it seems to be getting better all the time.    since 1998 alone Ive seen enormous improvements in viet nam, economic, personal freedoms, infrastructuraly.. not prefect by any standard[ especially in the human rights dept] my favorite suggestion to improve vn is ;" better more available health care, a few garbage cans, and a good plumber".. there is still corruption , especially among the police, but here in the usa we didnt even begin to clean up our police force till the 1950s... the viet namese way is slow and methodical[ look how they fought their many wars] i believe the government [as corruptas it may be] means well for the people. viet nam is a country that takes pride in itself  and will do well. listen any government no matter how bad that continualy improves cant "suck".   anyway they've been able to keep out of going to war for gan 30 nam roi[ close to 30 yrs]... thats not to shabby by any standards
841686
GBA Army 173 rd Abn, Viet Nam; 2 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.\nIt used to be do what you were told but after Robert McNamara admitted he and the President knew the war was not win able but still sent us to get killed, it is now do what is right.  That sure is not fight a war on behalf of the rich!\nCertainly the right wing paint us a nation of freedom fighters when in reality we have become a Army of mercenaries.\nNo, it is not a special day, it is another excuse for big business to use us again!  I hide out and speak to a few friends.\n\nGod Bless You and The Southern People.
354390
For my own part, I thank you. I wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who blames our troops for doing their best to fight for our country. I do not agree with the politics that sent you there, but I will fight that battle with the politicians in the best way that I can. I think that there is more support than there was for the soldiers who fought in Viet Nam, and I would like to think that this rise in support shows that more Americans are beginning to understand the need to support our troops. The argument as to why we are there, and whether it's right or wrong, is one best fought with politicians, not with those who fight so hard for us. Again, thank you!
1094404
It is interesting to me that the current protesters appear to be remarkably similar to those who protested the Vietnam war, i.e., basically uneducated, unwashed, unemployed individuals who, seemingly out of boredom, took to the streets to piss and moan about freedom for others.\n\nThey seemed to ignore that they were in a country that allowed them to do that without fear of repercussion.\n\nThey were predominately Liberal Democrats and many of them were supported by wealthy parents who failed to teach them anything other than\nhow to develop a "ME FIRST" personalty.\n\nIt generates in people who work for a living a sense of Deja Vu.\n\nMost of the Viet Nam protesters who are not still living on an inheritance are either on the dole, homeless, or working at minimum paying jobs.
150250
I am thinking the C I A took him out as  payback for the Bay of Pigs.  I have acutally walked the parade route and worked the tactical sniping exercise in my head.\nLets see, a cheap bolt-action rifle, equipped with a scope with poor eye relief against a target initially 30 yards away\ndriving on a curving road and accellerating beyond 35 mph.\n\nI knew a Marine Vietnam sniper with 45 confirmed kills that said HE could not have done it.  The Zapruder film seems to indicate he was killed by a round that struck the FRONT of his head.  The autopsy photos are on line. \n\nI am guessing this was a rouge project by people close to Allen and John Foster Dulles.  Had a grandfather that said in Nov 1960, If I was Jack Kennedy, I would never get another night's sleep knowing I stood between LBJ and the White House...but I don't think Johnson was involved. \n\nRightwing Cubans miffed after the failure of the Bay of Pigs may have helped.  Organized crime bosses did not like the Kefauver hearings either.
809060
I think he said what he ment and ment what he said.\n\nthe man has a nack for insulting the armed forces and bringing down moral, just ask the vietnam POWs
879978
I believe they won. I have talked to alot of people that feel voting is a waste of time because of the past elections.\nThe sad truth is these people would vote Democrat.\nI pray I am wrong but alot of people feel the last Bush/Republican elections were stolen .\nThey did not scare them but make them believe they had no voice.\nBy the way Bush choose to ignore N.Korea.\nAnd if taxes are not raised how do you propose we buy back AMERICA from the foreign investors that we are in debt to because of the current Administration. Hate to tell you but as of right now America is not owned by us due to our huge deficit.\nSo you can keep your money with a Republican Administration but what are you going to do when the foreign countries come to foreclose on the USA????
531152
Marcel has made some good points, with the exception of the ending of the Vietnam War in 1973. Recently, in a debate about 'Deep Throat,' Pat Buchanan had stated that President Nixon had authorized the 1973 pullout from Vietnam as a means of getting peoples' minds off of Watergate. It is very unlikely that the war effort would have been terminated when it did, because earlier President Nixon had placed some very severe conditions on American withdrawal, but in 1973 they were all abandoned.\n\nSpecifically, President Nixon had made the following demands on North Vietnam and the Viet Cong:\n\n1-All foreign combatants to be withdrawn from South Vietnam - instead, the US accepted 'certification' that NVA units in South Vietnam would stay in place and not continue to attack.\n\n2-All American servicemen listed as prisoners would be returned to the USA or relevant explanations provided - the US had maintained that 1500 American servicemen were missing and assumed alive and captured in Laos by either the Pathet Lao or the North Vietnames Army, but the USA agreed to instead list them all as dead.\n\n3-Verifiable cease fire to be in place before the USA would withdraw forces - the USA agreed to drop this condition altogether.\n\nThe Christmas Bombings, largely credited with bringing the North Vietnamese back to Paris, would have probably been continued (with subsequent continuation of loss of B-52 bombers over Hanoi) until North Vietnam actually made agreements they would stick to. The USA would then have kept faith with South Vietnam in 1975 when the next round of incursions began, and hippies would then have assaulted President Reagan in 1977 for reinstituting the draft and sending troops back to South Vietnam and invading the Peoples Republic of China. In 1981, discredited by new military deadlocks in Shanghai, President Reagan would have been followed by President Edmund Muskie, the economy would have collapsed 1n 1983, and in 1984 President Muskie would have benn succeeded by President Gus Hall, perennial candidate of the American Communist Party. In 1989, President Hall would have broken ties with Moscow and alligned the PRUSA (Peoples' Republic of the United States of America) with Albania and Yugoslavia as a third tier of World Communism. World War III would have ensued.
866315
Still comparing things that are irrelevant to each other?\n\nBy the way, when did we take Iraq?  Seems to me the fighting is still going, despite "Mission Accomplished."
677527
Yes! Statistics are meaningless. I guess you didn't help in looting the Treasury when you worked for the Department of Defense. Oh, we listen to you libs and the press and our 29% don,t really give a damn in hell where main stream America is. Wishing and hoping? Doesn't hurt. If the foundation is crumbling why are you still here or why don't you get positive and assist in strengthening it instead of undermining it. Were you ever in Viet-Nam and saw what the North Vietnamese troops did to their own people who didn't agree with their ideology. Yep. If we didn't have to put up with people like you then and a government who listen to them I bet we could have won. TET, '68. We kicked thier asses and again in May of '70 in Cambodia! At least we are killing the right kind of Iraqis who in their unlimited wisdom haven't yet killed themselves. Liberation? Ask France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Italy, VIET-NAM, and almost the rest of the world about the price you have to pay to be free.Like the Vietnamese, they had their terrorist too (They were referred to as VC ),why in God's or Alla's name do so many of the Mid-East peoples want to come and live and work in the USA? Another meaningless statistic and worthless merit due to the 29%ers and a thing called liberation. Right?
330822
Try here:\n\nhttp://www.vietquoc.com/news2002/na020202.htm
273928
As a Viet Nam vet I can say it is one of the MOST powerful pieces of art I have ever seen.  Maybe not THE most but certainly in the top ten.  I think I can safely say every one of us knows at least one of those ghosts.
1066850
Exactly...this is another Vietnam...it might not be the same scale casualty wise (at least American casulaties. Iraqi deaths are right up there). It's ridiculous. We never should have been there. I don't think it's the military's fault that there isn't progress...I'm sure they're doing what they can but there is only so much you can do before you realize that things aren't going to get any better. Insurgents are nasty and they'll stop at nothing to kill someone. This war is going to be going on for a long time unless something changes and unfortunately we have to wait a couple more years before those changes can begin. We destroyed a country now we're going to have to pay for it ....probably for the rest of our lives. It's a sad situation with no real end. You still have people out there saying that it was good that we went in...we got Saddam...we didn't go in to get Saddam. We went in to get weapons and the only ones we've found are the ones we sold them years ago to fight Iran. Interesting how that works out isn't it?