Why comparing Iraq to Vietnam is dangerous

As bad as Vietnam was there was never any chance of that war being extended to America. That was not even a consideration back then.

But you just imagine in theory another country invading and occupying one of our states and our military not being strong enough to do anything about it. Also imagine that our perception was that our fellow brother and sister Americans in that state were being mistreated, as the natural recources of that state were being stolen from them. How would we react?

At first we would probably do nothing. But as time went on it would begin to eat at us knowing what was going on in that state, and wondering if our state would be next.

There are over 1 billion Muslims in this world, and I agree the great majority will not do anything about what is happening in Iraq right now. The problem is that even a small minority of a billion people who will do something is growing and is significant.

Do not think that the Islamic world has not seen and took notice of the terror that just one suicide bomber can create. Because they have. And if anyone does not think that for every day we stay in Iraq is a day that someone will break somewhere in the world and decide it is payback time for Americans, I am afraid you are in for a rude awakening.

This is not Vietnam. This is much worse. And it will get worse every day we stay there and Bush passes out huge contracts to his rich friends to rebuild the country that America just destroyed.

I am afraid before this is over we may be remembering the years during the Vietnam war as the good old days. Please don't kill the messenger.

Don

The Bush administration was forewarned by many, many experts that one of the possible, and indeed probable, effects of a unilateral invasion of Iraq would be destabalization of the entire region. This is coming to pass and nobody has yet said "I told you so".

There are other lessons from Viet Nam that have gone unheeded:

Guerilla warfare cannot be stopped by conventional forces no matter how much technology you bring into play.

Even is a country is occupied, resistance still goes on and usually cannot be quelled. (Examples of history include: Jewish people in the Warsau ghetto, French Underground under German Occupation, Irish Republican Army, Hamas & Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestine.) We didn't learn that military does not bring an end to terror but political solutions do.

Millions were starved to death. Rebels were abducted and sent to who-knows-where (and I hate to imagine).

Of course, current circumstances are different, so I understand your point.
edit: typo

was quelled pretty stompingly too.

...could quell the Iraqi's pretty stompingly too.

Don

Sad but true, America is the inspiration for much of the genocide in the world.

...people. They claim to say this for the sake of the Iraqi people. And perhaps these words do come from their heart? I am afraid they are misguided? After a string of suicide bombings across America, these same people will be sayng glass all of them Arabs. And then Junior will get a woodie and push the button.

Don

Great post Don!

The irony of your post is that the chickenhawks who avoided their War in the 70s, do not understand the heavy price we will pay for the folly of their PNAC plan. I truly believe that their profound ignorance will hasten the sunset of US influence on this world. And I lay this on every Republican who has directed our foreign policy since 1980.

Sure we have a dominant war machine that is unparalleled in the history of mankind....but what good is it when we cannot find an enemy to fight by our rules? Iraq quickly realized the folly of trying to take us head-on, so they did the only intelligent thing on the table....disappear to fight another day on the terms that they choose.

Sadly, the Cheney's, Perle's, Wolfiwticz's, and BushJr's of this little club are blinded by their echoing logic of 'might makes right'.....their arrogance and hubris will only work against this country as the entire world teaches us the hard lessons on the fields of international economic competition and cooperation. Ther idea of diplomacy at the end of a gun barrel is sooo 20th century....Clinton knew and understood that the projection of our power was only effective when we used diplomacy and negotiation as our primary tools, and kept our military option as the last card to be played..not the 1st.

But I guess this result is to be expected when the shadow government installs it's own pResident and overrides the majority sentiment of the American people. We knew better....it is proven everyday that this criminal administration is allowed to soil the office they have stolen.