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The constant comparisons to Vietnam have been around since our first "defeat" in Iraq. That "defeat" started the whole quagmire question... what instance are we talking about? The sandstorm... that alone told me that the MSM were drooling over a loss in Iraq.
Vietnam and Iraq are completely different. One sign is the death tolls alone. 2,500 in over 3 years in Iraq, where in Vietnam it was in the tens of thousands. Another is the moral of the troops. We have over 90% voluntary re-enlistment rate, those are the people who were not stop-gapped. We also had the highest enlistment numbers since the 90s just recently, higher than post-9/11.
Yes, we're fighting a guerilla war. Yes, we're fighting an enemy who is supplied almost entirely from foreign countries.
No, the majority of the insurgents are not native to the region as in Vietnam. No, our military are not tied down in what is available to attack or not. Johnson bragged that they couldn't bomb an outhouse without his permission, now 2nd Lt.'s can call in air strikes if needed. No, the moral of the troops are not low. You don't see any troop anti-war protests, or at least more than a few people total. No, there are no threats to air superiority. No, there are no pitched battles anymore... they are whiped out everytime they stand and fight. In Vietnam every battle was a true fight.
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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas
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