Depends on the scope of your strategic vision. I personally incline to the view put forward by Norman Podhoretz that the Cold War was WW III, fought in slow motion thanks to nuclear deterrence, and that the “Long War” (or absurdly named “Global War on Terror” is WW IV.
Yeah, we threw a campaign we should have won in Southeast Asia, and only managed to draw the campaign in Korea (each though of as their own “war” by those with a myopic view of strategy), but we won the whole thing, and Reagan’s stealth victory would make Sun Tzu proud.
My scope is pretty much the same as yours.
I took part in the Southeast Asia war games.
After overthrowing the Taliban Bush should have gone after Iran next. Saddam Hussein would have probably helped us there then we could have dealt with him detail after that. End of so-called War on Terror before his 2nd term ended.