Could We Have Won Vietnam?

[vulturesrow]

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I think that anybody with a modicum of intelligence would say that the claim that in a strictly military sense, the US won the war in Vietnam

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Midge, I have read anti-vietnam war essays that state the military had 'unprecedented success' in Vietnam...

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The goal of military action is to help achieve political goals.

Our political goals in Vietnam were not met.

End of story.

To define military "success" by any other measure is ridiculous.

As a former military officer, it pains me to see active duty officers like vulture get this one so wrong. There is no such thing as winning a war in a "strictly military sense". That's like winning a football game in a "strictly rushing yardage sense". Clauswitz 101: "war is politics".

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Sorry I wasnt precise enough for you. By militarily, I meant in a tactical sense. Obviously we didnt meet our political goals there, thats what the thread is about. I thought people pretty much understood what I meant when I stated that earlier. Stop being such a nit, Kaj. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]