Change the word "Vietnam" to "Iraq"

[dabees]

The song won't rhyme, but what else is different? Except peoples outrage?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0jxHB3E710

Where has the power of disagreement gone? We seem afraid to protest nowadays, Why?

The neocon elite seem to be taking us to hell in a handbasket. But this time we seem to be pushing it for them.

What a sad state of affairs, why the hell don't the populous give their views anymore?

[Kromovaracun]

I hate it when people compare Vietnam and Iraq. They're just not the same.

For one thing, In 'Nam, the enemy was a more unified and better organised insurgency. In Iraq it's several groups fighting each other and the coalition.

In 'Nam, the objective was to contain communism. In Iraq there isn't really one, it's the more the result of an intelligence ****-up.

In 'Nam, the terrain was also radically different. 'So what?' you might ask. Well, when you're dealing with an insurgency, the terrain dictates quite a lot of how you do it and what goes on on the ground.

'Nam was also on a much larger scale, I believe. I don't have troop figures to hand but I'll look this up. I could be wrong on this one.

Political backdrop of 'Nam was also extremely different. It inspired real rage in people whereas Iraq has done to a lesser extent but for the most part has just inspired strong disagreement. I'm not sure why but I'm guessing it's related to the reasons above.

In 'Nam, the insurgency was actually effectively beaten on the ground after the Tet offensive. And the violence in Iraq has notably decreased after the 'surge'. As have US casualties. That's a point of comparison I guess. But it's still tenuous.

[cheries]

Please don't think you're representing a majority view when you state that people are outraged about the war in Iraq.
I am not outraged at the war, I am however consistently outraged at the notion that we are not prepared as a nation to accept that sometimes we have to assist other people in getting back onto their feet. I am disgusted, furthermore, that a minority of people are aiming their so-called "outrage" at our forces when they are out and about conducting their business.
You can argue all you like about the political implications of the war in Iraq but the fact remains that we went in to that country to try to help.
If we were facing a situation like Nazi Germany nowadays there would be some bleeding heart who opposed our actions there too. Saddam Hussein murdered people in their millions and we were right to assist the people in Iraq. And I am speaking from a well - informed viewpoint too, my ex-husband works in Iraq co-ordinating national security forces (staffed by local people) helping to protect the populus from a small but perfectly formed group of people who will try to disrupt everyday life, regardless of who's in charge over there.

[sp1214]

I prefer to rename Afghanistan the new Iraq. Al Qaeda are not fighting for the liberty of Iraq just the prescence of the coalition. The new battlefields are in Afghanistan where the death toll of troops is now rising.

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, where do you get the impression that people are outraged with it?
The majority of people i know are in no way outraged.
Any eductaed person can see the true reasons for going to Iraq were justified.
I dont know what sort of people you are mixing with...

[Gromit]

Since when did you push an handbasket?

[dabees]

Thanks Steve.5 a coherent answer at last.

To all those that have offered a differing opinion, i support the UK troupes, without compromise.

I just don't believe they should be there. My post was about the ability to to object to illegal wars, that has been taken away from the US. In the US they have the Patriot Act.

We have various Terrorism acts. They are all there to stifle the ability to object to the ruling party.


Shame.....

[cheries]

Just because we don't agree with you, doesn't make us incoherent. Do you understand what the word means?

[cheries]

We do have the ability to object to the nominated party's decisions. It's called voting.

[Kromovaracun]

Sorry. The tangent's my fault. On the original subject:

People have protested the invasion of Iraq. Several times. In fact I know people who went on a march demanding withdrawal of troops just last year.

The difference is that Iraq's smaller in scale than 'Nam and somehow less novel or controversial.

[Kromovaracun]

Perhaps 'controversy' was the wrong word. While Iraq's certainly angered a lot of people, it hasn't inspired real rage like 'Nam did.

Plus there hasn't (yet) been any draft for Iraq. That was a pretty controversial feature of Vietnam which Iraq lacks.

[badboy78]

watch the fog of war and that'll show you what vietnam was all about from a more political point of view, vietnam was essentially a civil war that the americans decided to lum themselves into. iraq well i think its pretty obviuos why we went in there and it wasnt for bin laden unless of course he's made of oil.