Would Americans have become involved in the Vietnam War had the North Vietnamese not called themselves communistists?
210953
No, America stands against communism, we probably would've left them alone.
292044
American imperialism after World War 2. The US tried to stop Communism everywhere, in an attempt to manipulate everyone into thinking democracy is better than communism. The conflict is the fact that the USSR did not have a communist form of government, but was run by the so-called Communist party. The Communists didn't follow the rules of communism, and America did what it did to show us how we need to rely on our government to protect us from "evil".
269087
There was a disproportionate number of black service men killed during the Vietnam war, as many blacks who joined the armed forces did so as they were from poor backgrounds and "joining up" was seen as one way of beating the poverty trap.\n\nAs many were from poorer backgrounds they had neither the education, nor the connections with which to become an officer or a skilled technician and therefore tended to form part of the front line GI troops, which by the very nature meant that more were killed than those better educated and predominately white fellow soldiers.\n\nIt wasn't so much a racist things as social situation.
199727
Well you see... there were vietnamese people... and we killed a lot of them.  Then they killed a lot of us.  Much like iraq, we should have just turned their country into a charred black rock in east asia.  i mean, after all... the winners of the wars are the ones who write the history books.
111703
1-There is no superpower (China and Soviet Union) actively supporting the insurgency through supplies and the regular army of a client state. In Vietnam, much of US Military policy was developed with the idea of defeating the Viet Cong and North Vietnam, while not drawing the Soviet Union into a larger war. For instance, the US resisted direct attacks or even laying of underwater mines in the harbor of Hai Phong in North Vietnam because the sailors on the Russian cargo ships might be killed. Many of the army units from Europe had been removed to Southeast Asia, leaving US security vulnerable elsewhere. The President today, by contrast, seems to be looking for a reason to begin direct military action against Iran and Syria, believed to be the main supporters of the Iraq insurgency.\n\nSecond, because the insurgency represents a wide, semi-cooperative coalition instead of a massed hierarchy, this war has no enemy chain of command for the American military to either interdict or to negotiate with. The United States was able to carry on (granted often ineffective because of the lack of commitment from the enemy side) intermittent peace talks in Paris with the Soviet Union, North Vietnam and even some representation of the Viet Cong leadership. That opportunity, even if it were welcome by the US which it is not, does not exist in this war. After the Tet Offensive, of course, the Viet Cong was so disrupted that they ceased to be even a semi-independent force.\n\nC-That should get you started.
384821
the United States.\n\nbut not before they destroed the country, long with Laos and Cambodia.\n\nthe Khmer Rouge came to power in the vacuum created and led to the genocide of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians.\n\nwhen the Vietnamese Army invaded to relieve the Cambodians, the US imposed further sanctions on the Vietnamese.\n\nso NO, they never did learn their lesson.\n\nbut its not the politicians who're paying the price.  it is the young American men and women who have to fight these wars on their behalf who end up getting blown up by IED's.\n\nsad.
339088
As a Vietnam veteran, I find Yahoo offensive for even considering removing anything about those who did not return and are still interned somewhere in Vietnam or Laos! Yahoo should fire the person that took that question off as they obviously lack respect for those who gave their lives in at least fighting Communism, not a war on oil!\n\nLike I said, Repubs don't care about America or American \nworkers! That is clear by outsourcing then crying about those who are no longer employed here being lazy! Their bottom line is their pocketbook as evidenced by 500 new MILLIONAIRES directly from taking money earmarked for the war in Iraq and putting it in their pocket! That would have NEVER happened in WWII!\n\nGee another Hanoi...George! Well he finally got to see what it looked like from the air though it took him 40 years!
557057
Kudo's for some good work, although I doubt that many liberals will buy into these facts.  I would like to take issue with one area of contention and that is the Viet Nam war.  It is true that JFK sent in advisors to contain the communists, but it was the old hawk Lydon Baines Johnson that escalated the war and sent in troops.  I believe that Viet Nam was Johnson's war.  After he lost the stomach to continue, when he had Charlie on his knees following the Tet offensive, the old fool announced that he was hanging up his spurs.  Johnson too, was a democrat and a shameless coward.  The loss of that war should  be credited solely to LBJ.
283971
Well Vietnam was stopped by adequate media coverage of it's failures. Perhaps it needs to be made more clear in the public eye that the events taking place, caused by our countries, is not serving to suit the needs of all people involved. I do not believe that the majority of people that do not live in the countries that this war is taking place are fully aware of the severity of the situation. They need to be made aware. Once they understand the extent of damage that is being caused, which is totally unjustified, they will be motivated into seeing that something is done about it.\nAnd if the Americans are fighting for freedom, what do you think the Iraqis, sorry, 'insurgents' are fighting for? The right to be opressed? I don't think so. They are fighting for control of their own country which does not belong to America.\nAnd if it's true that the reason America came in to Iraq was to free the people from Saddam, why are they not free now? Why was Saddam allowed to torture his people for 25 years, actively being supported by the American government a decade or two ago.\nAnd if America is so tough on dictators why did they put Pinochet in place?\nCan anyone answer that?\nI prey the more soldiers see the light and the web of lies they are trapped in.
633269
Let me make this clear, North Korea is a militarily formidable country.  All of their money goes into the military and weapons.  Remember that we fought the Korean war and Vietnam war to save South Korea and South Vietnam from communism.  America doesnt go to war just to get something we need.  We fight to protect liberty, and consequently to protect our own freedom.
82510
When he was given the chance during Vietnam, he did not either.  He was AWOL drinking with buddies in the National Guard.
210476
I am a Viet Nam veteran, serving with the First Cavalry Division in  the Central Highlands.  When I was there, in 1966-67, I supported what we were doing.  After I got home and studied the situation and what was happening in Viet Nam my mind was changed.  After Robert MacNamera apologized for the lies that got us into that war, I knew the US was wrong for going into the Nam.  The Domino Theory was a big fat lie.  We lost the war and I didn't see the whole area turning communist.  In fact Cambodia is a free nation know.  Viet Nam only wanted to be free from foreign domination which they finally achieved.  The US doesn't have the right to tell other countries what to do and how to live, but in todays world, might makes right so we interfer where we shouldn't
370252
No thanks needed. But thanks for mentioning it. As a Vietnam era veteran, I didn't hear that from anyone for a couple of decades.
366751
The connection that I see, is that the communists totally funded and armed by China and the Soviet Union knew that they would win by turning the American Citizens against their government causing to pull out.  they negoiated with Nixon and we had a peace for two years.  The NOrth then invaded a free nation South Vietnam and knew their would be no American response.  The Iran backed terrorists know this and used it in Spain, Britian and that also kept German and France in line by the mere threat of blowing up train stations.  Bush is correct in that, the torrorists are well aware that they can sway the Americans public by j\n\nThe best thing we can do is to have the Dem take a strong stand and actually put moe troops in Iraq and clean it up once and for all.  Then they will know we mean business.
395699
yes here take a look for yourself, and no ones been brought to justice for that and war crimes the u.s commited in vietnam. nazi's didn't last long in history nor will thier predesesors the u.s.
624039
The US had a presence there since 1950's, even before that if you count the OSS operatives during WWII. Our involvement was to stem the tide of Communism, and also to step in to fill the gap after the French were leaving to comply with the Geneva Accord of 1954. \n     In the context of the times, fighting Communism was a more important and justifiable pretext than oil. \n    It seems apparent that actual motives changed and got muddied as the scope of involvement became lengthy. \n    In the end, US objectives are actually beginning to be realized, and that area of the world moves to more of a self determined free-market based economy. It is a shame that there had to be so much suffering of the general population AFTER US withdrawal to see this come about. \n     I have read memoirs and interviews from former Viet Cong of how they were immediately disenfranchised when the South was overrun, (and they were on the same side as the North, and did much of the dying at the hands of the US!), so one can imagine how bad it must have been for the remainder of the population.
472202
Your right,they see themselves as heroes, but the Liberals lost the war in Viet Nam by turning American people against it (using the media), just like today. This is one war we can't afford to lose.\n\nadd: One thing they won't talk about is the fact that 3 million people died in Viet Nam after we left.