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Originally Posted by scout
Host,
All that and you still missed the basic point of my post. Oh well, such is life. I'm not argueing the fact that Vietnam {or Iraq for that matter} was a cause that needed to be supported or perhaps isn't/wasn't the wrong war at the wrong time.
I am argueing the fact that the Liberals are so desperate to embarrass the current adminstration that somethings are "leaked" or just blown out of proportion that shouldn't have even been released because it puts our troops in more danger and adds fuel to the fire of the insurgents. There are ways to handle things without making it worldwide news. We don't need celebrity actors meeting with hostile politicians. Much of the same thing happened in Vietnam hence the reference to Hanoi Jane.
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The problem in Vietnam and Iraq is not "left or right" "Dem or GOP"... however, it looks good and keeps the parties fighting and blaming each other so they look different to voters.
The truth is it's other world powers.
In 'Nam and Korea it was the threat the USSR and China would get involved and create a WW3. (Yes, those 2 countries were involved, but as "advisors" and suppliers, neither truly commited to Vietnam and China only committed to Korea after MacArthur moved troops deep and said we needed to invade China (for which he promptly lost his job and we were pushed back).
In the end it wasn't politics that fueled those wars, it was business. The economy at that time was heavily military based. We needed the conflicts to keep our factories open, even if we weren't allowed to "win". *see below*
Iraq is very similar, in that we cannot truly do much because we have a lot of people with nukes and nasty germs that could truly escalate this war. We have China watching our every move..... we owe them billions upon billions and we make them too mad, 1) they call in the debt, 2) they have an army of 1 billion ready and able to fight, 3) they let the funny, nutty little guy in Korea and his friend in Iran loose and give them nuke help. Soooo we have to watch our step.
We also have every other Middle East country watching us and readying for war and waiting for us to misstep, and it is a war we cannot win.
Also, we don't have the industry machinations we once had, and economically we cannot keep this pace up. So we will have to "cut and run" and the Right will say it's the Left's fault because it makes good politics and the truth that our policy on Iraq is dictated by other countries can remain that dirty little secret.
In the end, agree, disagree, right or wrong we are there but our hands are not tied from within but from outside forces. Same as Vietnam, same as Korea.
*Our government subsidized businesses by their military contracts, it is what made our economy move. When Reagan came out and exposed the $1,000 hammer and so on, that was the death knell for US business. If someone would like to start a thread to discuss this let's.... I don't want to threadjack this thread with that discussion.*