Iraq and Vietnam: A Simple Equation

It seems to me that the Iraqi situation is a relatively straightforward repeat of our Vietnam dilemma -- namely, just the way our soldiers served as the only security upholding a series of corrupt South Vietnamese regimes over a decade, our troops in Iraq have been the only force propping up a series of venal Iraqi governments now for five years. In both cases, we hoped that these administrations would gain public backing, but found them to be failures. In the end, our country has to decide, just as we did in Vietnam, whether we are going to continue to send our men and women, our military and infrastructure resources, and our tax dollars to keep this ineffectual Iraqi rule going -- or whether, like a bad poker hand, we finally throw the cards in and leave the game, and allow the tribal forces on the ground to come to their own settlement.

The American people have spoken repeatedly through regular polling data that they want us to leave -- not precipitously, but nonetheless with dispatch. However, the hearings in Congress over the last two days does not give one much confidence that this message is getting through. By next year, under the Bush/Petraeus plan, indeed, we'll have absolutely the same number of troops in Iraq by next summer as we have had for the past years. In other words -- absent the surge extras -- we are back where we started and another year will have passed, more lives lost, more Iraqis displaced, more mayhem in the streets, more waste of US assets. Despite Bush's standing at 28% in the polls, it appears unlikely Congress will do anything to change his Iraqi policy (unlike what it did about Vietnam) leaving him as mastermind for the next 17 months. This is a wrenching outcome.

Comments

[maniarwild]

I am glad you finally explained why 79% of the Iraqi people want us out and almost 2 out of 3 Americans want us out and we are still there. It is not what Bush wants,and he seems to always get his way.

[ivan414]

The American people must elect representatives who will act on their behalf, abd it appears that people are not electing such representatives. Far too few voters , or people eligible to vote, go to the polling places.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Ah, but as long as they can keep cranking this calliope, the Government Doughnuts will keep flowing...

[Qbear]

Americans should FORCE George Herbert Bush back into the Presidency to clean up the FIASCO his little F*CKTARD got America into in Iraq. God knows Bush senior and his CIA buddies cleaned up hundreds of messes this demented coke-snortin' drunk frat boy generated all over Texas and Alabama.
I'd make that bloated old cow Barbara clean up New Orleans too!

[Qbear]

IRAQ is infinitel WORSE mistake than Viet Nam.
Viet Nam had no real strategic importance to the United States survival or safety. It also contained no resources the USA depended on.
The quagmire in Iraq makes Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos look like child's play. There's no China, Kissinger can go to with a secret surrender deal,(let us get our troops out and do what you want.)
Cheney and Wolfowitz REALLY "screwed the pooch" with Iraq, and 2 generations will pay for this FIASCO.

[splashy]

I blame it all on the Republics that are going along with the profit takers that are making out like criminals on the blood of our soldiers and the Iraqis.

If the Republics would just quit supporting the occupation, the war would be stopped very soon.

[PigLipstick]

As someone who survived the Viet Nam conflict, I recall similar claims from the hawks of the time that allowing South Viet Nam to fall into the hands of the Communist North would result in genicide on an enormous scale. One wonders if we had stayed the course and maintained control of Viet Nam, would it have prospered absent the economic boost it received during the war.

President Bush's trip to Viet Nam last year revealed a country that suffered neither a genicide or an economic collapse. Considering the current state of affairs in this country, many Americans find the current upscale socialist economy of Viet Nam, with free state sponsored college education and healthcare, an appealing alternative to the Bush ownership society that has resulted in the destruction of the middle class and the biggest transfer of wealth, in this country's history, to the upper 10% of the population.

[tbmmoe]

I hate to say I told you so, but...Helloooo...Is there any intelligent life in Washington DC? Prior to the invasion, millions of people around the world clearly understood what kind of catastrophe this would be. Bush Sr., along with the allies in the first Gulf war, were smart enough to avoid getting into this unnecessary mess. Can you say QUAGMIRE? After four years of seeing the 'light at the end of the tunnel', will our gutless elected leaders and their gullible constituents finally make the hard decision to get out, and stop messing around in civil affairs that are none of our business?

[Dansden]

CORRECT! The Constitution of the U.S. is the issue!

To elect Republicans who dismiss our Constitution as a 'hurdle to overcome' or a 'impediment to efficient government' or an 'antiquated document that no longer speaks to the world's situation' is TREASON of the highest order! Republicans have shown no respect, no support and no allegiance to this
remarkable historical document, The Constitution of the U.S..
The evidence is confirmed through the legislation they produced, through any policies they enacted nor through any
national programs they instituted- all of their actions and legislation were to help the fascist corporate interests who left America and our Constitution for Dubai and Asia where they could raoe the natural resources of those 3rd world countries after leaving our economy in a 3rd rate state.

[CharliePfromHB]

Remember, we left Vietnam in the context of the Nixon initiative in China and the reemergence of Germany and Japan in the marketplace. Ultimately, international competition (and co-dependency) offset the potential for a massive spread of communism, because communism doesn't work. Iraq although it manifests itself in sectarian civil strife,(as does Sudan/Darfur, Congo, etc.); is about control of power, particularly oil, with an added stress of water shortage(note that desalination is not wider spread because of the cost of traditional energy solutions to produce fresh water). This dynamic, including terrorism (which ultimately is funded by oil producers(intentionally or otherwise), is diferrent because the users and suppliers of the drug, oil, are all addicts. Water borne issues are fundemental to world peace and world health and need an infusion of low cost, clean energy, and a committment of capital to put a dent in famine, civil unrest, and a rising water shortage in hotspots around the world (including the southwestern US, Mexico, China, and more). Yes, don't trade Iraq for Iran. We don't want global waring or global warming. This is not all about military tactics, but about improving world economics through new energy, water, and world health paradigms. The world's state of denial, caused by oil addiction, will ultimately follow us home if we don't foster change. Pulling out of conflict zones is a tactic, but a strategy is needed. In a global village of almost seven billion people, we must support the true free market environment that will enable the emergence of a new lower cost, clean energy and fresh water. Yes, with government support, regulation, and incentives. Maybe water needs to be publically owned. The current oligopoly/government/cartel combination in restraint of change must be challenged by a new leadership that understands that it is no longer 1950. Yes, there are parellels to Vietnam, but not in military tactical choices, but rather in facing the issues of today, including terrorism and safety, in a way the projects world economics (and health) forward. That's the "balance of power" that is needed today.

[Newsguy]

WHat we need is a draft. Democrats ought to insist on a draft and watch the Republicans scream bloody murder that it is not necessary. Oh really? Isn't this a Global War on Terror? Fighting them Over There so we don't have to fight them Over Here? Isn't this a War to Save Civilization, a fight to defeat Islamoterrorists? If this is such an important war, let's have a draft.

And if this is such an important war, let's tax rich people to pay for it. Let the Dems introduce that notion as a bill in the House, as well.

[Ewbone]

You somehow managed to get "mastermind" and "Bush" into the same sentence. I didn't think it could be done.

[seawolf77]

It should have been called the "Axis of Oil", Afghanistan, Iraq and now Iran. Sure we can point to this simpleton as the source of our angst but the truth is we are all complicit. I agree with one of our fellow bloggers, John Edwards brings something different to the table, a true populist like Huey Long. Hopefully we can get thru this next 17 months without a nuclear exchange and a new war sprouting.

[AndyW]

Another thing about the North Vietnamese is that they were relentless and vicious. Does this ring an Iraqi bell? You can't support a military action where there is little to no political support of your objectives among the people. You can't defend against a ruthless and relentless guerilla action, which I maintain will be the case as long as we have soldiers on the streets of Iraq. Our soldiers will be like human flypaper for radicals and insurgents until they leave. I also believe any government in place while American soldiers were occupying is never going to be seen as legitimate, rather as a pawn of the West, and that any Iraqi who cooperated with the invasion had probably better leave Iraq if and when U.S. troops leave. Any bets on how concerned the U.S. government will be over the fate of Iraqi friendlies, when Pontius Bush or his successor washes those bloody hands?

[Doofus]

How Iraq is NOT like Vietnam is we don't (yet)
have 100 G.I.'s killed every week. Every week
for 10 years, on average. We don't have the
Draft that was necessary to provide up to 500,000
troops 'in country', for a year at a time, for
10 years (more or less).

Oddly enough, there were always said to be
oil & gas deposits hidden off the Vietnam coast,
and afterwards, these were even found! Nothing
like the Middle East, if that matters.

[Doofus]

Iraq is also NOT like Vietnam in that it's
somewhat similar to the Banana Wars in Central
America (c. 1910-1934), carried out by the
USMC to serve the interests of various US fruit
companies, believe it or not. Substitute Oil
for Fruit, & you have it.

Unless you think Iraq is all about freedom & politics & stuff.