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Vietnam-Like Defeat in Iraq Will Have Far Worse Consequences
RealClearPolitics ^ | October 26, 2006 | Mort Kondracke

Posted on 10/26/2006 10:09:33 AM PDT by neverdem

The political cartoon on my office wall shows Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a frazzled father trying to drive the car while kids in the front and back seats yell, "Is it Vietnam yet?"

Daryl Cagle's cartoon was delightful back in March 2003, lampooning critics of the war in Afghanistan. Now it's a mordant commentary on Iraq.

The tragic fact is that Iraq has become Vietnam -- a noble cause that has lost the support of the American people and Congress and is on the verge of ending in disaster. But this time, the consequences will be much worse.

Noble cause? Yes. The United States tried to save South Vietnam from being conquered by brutal communists. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President Bush was trying to prevent weapons of mass destruction, which nearly everyone thought Iraq had, from being handed over to terrorists. And he wanted to bring democracy to Iraq as a model for the Middle East.

I think history shows that the United States and South Vietnam might have prevailed against the North but for the flagging will of the American people and opposition from the media and Congress.

For sure, as recent commentary has reminded us, the 1968 Tet offensive was a colossal military defeat for the communists -- 58,000 killed in two months -- even though it convinced Walter Cronkite and American elites that the war was unwinnable.

And so, it became unwinnable. Once Gen. Creighton Abrams took over as U.S. commander in Vietnam in 1968 and instituted new tactics, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces began winning battle after battle, but, as Abrams complained to his staff, "we never get a break from the umpires" in the media or Congress.

The Nixon policy of "Vietnamization" worked, too. U.S...

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: democrats; elections; iraq; vietnam
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To: Welike ike
I don't care what his rationale is. He hosted a freakin' fundraiser for her.
21 posted on 10/26/2006 11:41:48 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (Can money pay for all the days I lived awake but half asleep?)
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To: neverdem

It is like Vietnam only in the sense that some people are buying into the MSM's contention that we are losing.

In reality, the situation in Iraq, while far from ideal is also far from a disaster. Our casualty rates are lower than those in any previous war, including the one most analogous to this one: the Phillipine Insurgency of a century ago.

The chaos is Iraq is containable, and it draws Islamowaccos that would otherwise be attacking in the U.S. like crap draws flies. The main problem we have is the news media with its "all disaster all the time" meme. They were wrong about what the US was doing in the Gulf War. They were wrong about what we did in the Iraq War. They are still lying today, with the intention of costing us our victory in Iraq because they dislike our President.


Frankly, if we kicked them all out of Iraq we would be better served.


22 posted on 10/26/2006 11:48:27 AM PDT by No Truce With Kings (The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
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To: Alberta's Child

Point taken my friend.


23 posted on 10/26/2006 11:51:39 AM PDT by Welike ike
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To: Alberta's Child

http://www.newsmax.com

Sabato sees the GOP surging over Gay Marriage Ruling in NJ.


24 posted on 10/26/2006 12:15:21 PM PDT by Welike ike
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To: Thrownatbirth

I doubt it "took" that many divisions, but it is like that Ron White joke about being surrounded by six bouncers. "I didn't know how many of them it was going to take to whoop my ass, but I knew how many they were going to use."


25 posted on 10/26/2006 12:36:26 PM PDT by thelastvirgil (Lest ye put all your faith in the government to provide for you, check their track record.)
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To: Welike ike
I agree fully with your assessment of the enemies of the Republic, ALL SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS.
26 posted on 10/26/2006 1:24:50 PM PDT by RetiredArmy (Just call be a Rush Limbaugh type of conservative. I ain't cutting and running! VOTE!)
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To: Thrownatbirth
As I recall, and I was there, it was an ungrateful nation, mislead by the omnipresent leftist media, that brought about "our" loss in Viet Nam, Ex-Republic thereof.

Mr. Kondracke is exactly correct about the consequences should we pull another ignoble defeat from what should have been the jaws of victory in Iraq and the broader WOT.

But that might just be my opinion.

27 posted on 10/26/2006 5:09:29 PM PDT by ImpBill ("America ... Where are you now?")
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To: ImpBill
But that might just be my opinion.

An opinion that should be heeded.

28 posted on 10/26/2006 5:12:09 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: jwalsh07

Hello friend. Good to see you in print again.


29 posted on 10/26/2006 5:18:51 PM PDT by ImpBill ("America ... Where are you now?")
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To: neverdem

"I think history shows that the United States and South Vietnam might have prevailed against the North..."

does this make it into the high school history books?


30 posted on 10/26/2006 5:40:57 PM PDT by baseball_fan
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To: All; neverdem; Toidylop; baseball_fan; No Truce With Kings; reformjoy; conservogirl; Welike ike; ...

.

BELIEVE it..or ELSE..!!!!


Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts

.


31 posted on 10/26/2006 8:36:16 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: All; Thrownatbirth


.


NEVER FORGET


As Sen. TED KENNEDY fooled Congress into stopping all our funding for the South Vietnamese to fight for their own Freedom with...

...now open KGB Files tell us that the Soviet Union gave $6 Billion in Military Aid to the North for its planned "Final Solution" in the South. Translating into 600 Soviet Tanks and 1,000's of mobile artillery pieces flowing down the HO CHI MINH Trail.

600 Soviet Tanks is more Tanks than Gen. GEORGE PATTON needed to win World War II with in Europe.

Sen. TED KENNEDY is now trying to do the very same thing to a Free Iraq. And he has always known better:


See 5th Photo down...
...taken in October 1965 of a then young Sen. TED KENNEDY touring our Freedom-securing military operations in the Central Highlands of a then Free South Vietnam:

http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm





Signed:.."ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer
Veteran-1st Major Battles of the Vietnam War 1965-66

(Vietnam War Photo Collection)
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm


NEVER FORGET


.



32 posted on 10/26/2006 8:55:18 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: All; ClearCase_guy

.

CLARITY =


Many come out to show war support across land

http://www.post-gazette.com/nation/20030324antiwar0324p7.asp

.


33 posted on 10/26/2006 9:29:50 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com.)
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To: All; Toidylop

.

Gov. ARNOLD's excellent Freedom-Loving adventure in a Free Little Saigon CA:

http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/photos/3165/
(Photo Essay)


34 posted on 10/26/2006 9:33:23 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com.)
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To: All; LibLieSlayer


.


NEVER FORGET



The one thing the LOVE Itself needs...

...more of in this world,

...for GOD is LOVE,

...is more LOVE..!!!




And that only comes when...

...people are FREE..!!!



Thus making our Hero Soldiers now bringing Freedom around the world,

...creating more LOVE in the process,


...and their Loved Ones who...

...wait for them to come home...

...or not:



...HOLY in GOD's Eyes..!!!

http://www.Freerepublic.com/~ALOHARONNIE

http://www.RickRescorla.com/The%20Statue.htm



NEVER FORGET


35 posted on 10/26/2006 10:00:05 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com.)
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To: ALOHA RONNIE

Thanks for the ping!


36 posted on 10/26/2006 11:40:27 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: neverdem
Our problems in Iraq and the Middle East in general regarding stabilization is we are dealing with lots of local stupid people who go with the flow no matter which way it is going.

We have enemies within who are working against the success of the war hoping to regain power and they are hurting the effort against terror.

The stupid people of the Middle East are tribal and when they see opposition from the press and activists against the war on terror, they of course will begin to cooperate with what will be perceived to be the winning side.

If they Middle East believes we will win, the people will give up on the terrorist to eventually side with us against them.

We can't afford a terrorist controlled Middle East influencing the world energy market or destabilizing that whole region.

The only way we lose is if we defeat ourselves and that can only be done from the inside out.

As it is, I hear we have not lost a single battle in the Middle East regarding the war on terror and yet, when you read the bad vibe of this article and our press, you'd thing we've been beaten at every turn.

So we have cancer within and we fight it as we fight the war. Makes it 900% tougher IMO.
37 posted on 10/26/2006 11:52:02 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: A CA Guy; All

.


Thank you for your CLARITY, A CA Guy.

Right now, Iraq IS the War on Terror ...win or lose.

And our future descendants are watching for its outcome.

BELIEVE IT..!!!

.


38 posted on 10/27/2006 3:57:38 AM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com.)
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To: ALOHA RONNIE

GOD, Country, Family... ALWAYS!

LLS


39 posted on 10/27/2006 4:11:45 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Preserve America... kill terrorists... destroy dims!)
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To: neverdem

This whole thing comes down to the general opinion of the American people and who controls their.
Wu Cheng'en said in the mid 1500s, "If you think you can or can't, you are right."
If we think we will lose in Iraq then we will.
If we think it is winnable, it is.
I personally think it is winnable, but it may take as long or longer than the cold war did.


40 posted on 10/27/2006 4:11:54 AM PDT by BuffaloJack
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