From: John Grigg (starman2100@lycos.com)
Date: Sun Apr 20 2003 - 01:50:42 MDT
Spudboy wrote:
My answer is that the amount of technology would not have changed the equation in Vietnam. The reason was that there was a lack of political will to take the war to North Vietnam.
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The political will of a government and its people combined with the morale of its troops are definitely of paramount importance. And perhaps in some parallel universe there is a world which suffered a limited nuclear war because the U.S. there dared foolishly to invade North Vietnam. I just don't know.
But some say the war, frustrating as it was, in fact was good thing because it allowed the feuding superpowers to vent their frustrations & focus on a fairly small stage, rather than letting things boil over into a possible nuclear exchange.
you continue:
By not taking the war to the North Vietnamese (on the ground) there was no way of effecting their war production, supply, morale, and reaction, except by an air war, which was ineffectual. Todays JDAM guided weapons would have made things easier for the military, but would never have won the war on the ground. The principle of taking the ground, still holds even after 45 years of technical advances.
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Your post succinctly brought up the key reasons many say the U.S. fought the war with one hand tied behind it's back!
In a roundabout way I see us in the end coming out the winner in what was a battle of both bullets and ideologies, due to our global media (Hollywood enraptures all before it) and capitalism, which have already greatly seduced the young people of Vietnam. Their parents and grandparents if not already, will in time be foaming at the mouth as western pop culture & economic methods make strong inroads with their offspring who just don't get excited about the "party." I think that could be a fitting U.S. revenge. lol!
As with China, the question is can people yearning for a free market economy and greater civil liberties break the chains of a tyrannical government which is desperate to maintain a hold on power.
John
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