Vietnam War

[Above_70Percent]

Was the Vietnam War just a waste of military men and women?

A couple years ago the US government made a statement where they said that the basis of the Vietnam War was actually fiction. For those of you who didn't know the Vietnam War was provoked by a statement that the US government said. The US government told the citizens of America that a US Naval ship had been shot down on the outskirts of eastern Vietnam, and that the Vietnamese government were responsible for this attack that killed several U.S. Armymen. (I forget the number).

I'm not sure if I should post my views quite yet, maybe later.

 

[Sly]

There are many reason for both sides. Each side has good statements, so nothing will ever come out to one answer.

 

[Above_70Percent]

But it's good to know where everyone stands.

 

[Sly]

True true. and it gives me sumthin to type about. at least the war made some good movies....

 

[Above_70Percent]

But thats all it made.

 

[Sly]

hmm... i think i now know where you stand. i try to stay out of these debates unless i know an entirely huge amount of knowledge. and w/ the vietnam war, a lot of people dont...

 

[Above_70Percent]

Actually, I myself am Vietnamese and I am very educated about this topic.

 

[Sly]

but do people really know what all happened?

 

[Above_70Percent]

No, because we got some f*cked up government

 

[B)ushid(o]

I believe that American intervention in Vietnam was a good thing. It is possible that if the U.S and other countries didn't try to protect South Vietnam almost all of Southeast Asia would have been Communist instead of just Laos and Cambodia... yes I believe in the Domino Theory.

North Vietnam recieved less support from the Soviet Union and China towards the end of the war due to more cooperation and less tensions between the U.S and China and the Soviet Union which is one of the better effects of the war.

 

[amrtin77]

whats the big deal with communists anyway? why hate them. its another form of government, and if you dont like them let them go. they are doomed to fail

 

[B)ushid(o]

The Communist government can NEVER work because of our human nature. It would require us to be perfect and to be selfless instead of our natural tendencies to be selfish. Besides, many of the Communist governments demand that their people bow down to them. Most of the Communist governments get their way through the blood of innocents. Think of Stalin or Mao Zedong. Think of Pol Pot and to some degree, Fidel Castro.

 

[Above_70Percent]

Bushida u didnt add any facts to why u think the Vietnam war was so good

you said all of southeast asia, and well laos and cambodia is practically all of southeastern asia. (china doesn't count)

 

[B)ushid(o]

Relations with China and the Soviet Union were better. That probably wouldn't have happened if the Vietnam Conflict never happened for the U.S.

No wars are ever "good" but the effects of some of them are.

Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore probably would have fallen. There was a possibility that Indonesia and a lot of the Pacific Islands would have also fallen to Communism. There were fears that all of Asia would soon become Communist (although that was a bit extreme). If that was the case though, the U.S might not have grown into the country it is today.

North Vietnam wanted to take over South Vietnam but the people there didn't want it to become part of North Vietnam. We helped them fight because we thought it was the right thing to do. Why is it wrong to help them fight? The world is our business. The U.S believed that freedom shouldn't be taken away from an innocent country like that so we intervened. How is that wrong?

 

[amrtin77]

im not for making war because someone is communist. thats a shitty reason. communism will destroy itself, dont worry about it. communism never works, it will end up in a dictatorship or something if it is to be successful

 

[B)ushid(o]

At that time the Soviet Union was a huge threat in the eyes of the U.S. North Vietnam was recieving aid from the Soviet Union and China and the U.S didn't want another ally to the Soviet Union so they decide to enter the war.

 

[Above_70Percent]

The US Government is just messed up. All I got to say is the Vietnam is based on a lie, the only reason the United States Citizen wanted the war because of the attack on the Naval Ship and as i Said before that never happenec.

 

[Steven22]

Originally posted by B)ushid(o
Besides, many of the Communist governments demand that their people bow down to them. Most of the Communist governments get their way through the blood of innocents. Think of Stalin or Mao Zedong. Think of Pol Pot and to some degree, Fidel Castro.

Thats actually wrong for one reason. Thats not exactly Communism. That is what is known as a Socialist Dictatorship. The rulers and dictators just use communism as the form of economy, but the government type is the one aforementioned.
Thats said, the Domino Theory is an absolute pathetic excuse to have gone to war. It just serves as cloak to what really happened. Our government screwed up, plain and simple.

The U.S believed that freedom shouldn't be taken away from an innocent country like that so we intervened. How is that wrong?

Its wrong because the war didn't prevent the north from invading the south. Regardless of how much our "righteous" government want to "save the people" of South Vietnam they couldn't stop it. A total waste of lives. Capitalism (being U.S.) just wanted to flex their muscles and show Communism (being USSR) that it wasn't afraid to fight. Sadly we just showed we could lose to an army of jungle men (Vietcong) and an unorganized and unequipped army (NVA). USSR laugh and saw down on us, but later had their own Vietnam in Afghanistan.... but thats a totally different story.

There were fears that all of Asia would soon become Communist (although that was a bit extreme). If that was the case though, the U.S might not have grown into the country it is today.

Despite losing the war we still turned out to be a great country. I doubt a bunch of poverty ridden, communist countries in Asia would have prevented the U.S. turning into what it is today.

The world is our business.

No its not. USA is our buisness and thats the way it should be kept. I wouldn't be so sensible on the subject if our government would stop being so hypocritical and actually step into countries where it actually counts. Countless ruthless dictators in Africa, Cuba, Venezuela newly acquired one, FARC in Colombia. There is enough to do in this Hemisphere alone.

 

[Above_70Percent]

lol got em good steven

 

[B)ushid(o]

Above_70Percent
The US Government is just messed up. All I got to say is the Vietnam is based on a lie, the only reason the United States Citizen wanted the war because of the attack on the Naval Ship and as i Said before that never happenec.

Yeah, that ship attack never happened but criticism of Vietnam should not have been so high. Vietnam was like the Korean Conflict but I see no criticism of Korea.

Originally posted by Steven22
Thats actually wrong for one reason. Thats not exactly Communism. That is what is known as a Socialist Dictatorship. The rulers and dictators just use communism as the form of economy, but the government type is the one aforementioned.

But they were still strong supporters of the Soviet Union (with the exception of Cambodia).

Thats said, the Domino Theory is an absolute pathetic excuse to have gone to war. It just serves as cloak to what really happened. Our government screwed up, plain and simple.

The Domino Theory actually worked in one part of history, The American Revolution. After the American Revoultion countries in the the Americas rebelled against European rule and set up their own governments. Haiti, Mexico, and Latin America were inspired by the American Revolution to rebel. Even France was inspired and they had the French Revolution.

Its wrong because the war didn't prevent the north from invading the south. Regardless of how much our "righteous" government want to "save the people" of South Vietnam they couldn't stop it. A total waste of lives. Capitalism (being U.S.) just wanted to flex their muscles and show Communism (being USSR) that it wasn't afraid to fight. Sadly we just showed we could lose to an army of jungle men (Vietcong) and an unorganized and unequipped army (NVA). USSR laugh and saw down on us, but later had their own Vietnam in Afghanistan.... but thats a totally different story.

The war would have turned out in favor of South Vietnam if we had stayed in longer instead of withdrawing. Contrary to popular belief, the Tet Offensive was not a victory for North Vietnam. Most of the victories were from the United States. The only victory North Vietnam gained from it was a media victory. We would have won the war if we stayed there longer.

Despite losing the war we still turned out to be a great country. I doubt a bunch of poverty ridden, communist countries in Asia would have prevented the U.S. turning into what it is today.

They would have actually. Indonesia exports 2.4% of the world's oil. If Communism had spread to Japan then we wouldn't be as technologically advanced plus we would be losing out on 15% of the world's fishing exports from Japan to the world, and 7.9% of exports to Japan. 23% of exports from Malaysia goes to the United States. 19% of exports from Singapore go to the United States.

No its not. USA is our buisness and thats the way it should be kept. I wouldn't be so sensible on the subject if our government would stop being so hypocritical and actually step into countries where it actually counts. Countless ruthless dictators in Africa, Cuba, Venezuela newly acquired one, FARC in Colombia. There is enough to do in this Hemisphere alone.

Cuba has done nothing to us in years. African countries are always in wars and there are always coups and takeovers. We did go to Africa before. Remember Somalia? The country didn't respond well to that one.