Vietnam 2 --- Preflight Check

[imported_Chuck Weinstock]

Cabal of oldsters who won't listen to outside advice? Check.

No understanding of ethnicities of the many locals? Check.

Imposing country boundaries drawn in Europe, not by the locals? Check.

Unshakeable faith in our superior technology? Check.

France secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.

Russia secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.

China secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.

Sec. Defence pushing a conflict the Joint Chiefs never wanted? Check.

Fear we'll look bad if we back down now? Check.

Corrupt Texan in the White House? Check.

Land war in Asia? Check.

Quite unhappy with outcome of previous war? Check.

Enemy easily moves in/out of neighboring countries? Check

Anti-Americanism up sharply in Europe? Check.

B-52 bombers? Check.

Helicopters that clog up on the local dust? Check.

In-fighting among the branches of the military? Check.

Locals that cheer us by day, hate us by night? Check.

Local experts ignored? Check.

Local politicians ignored? Check.

Locals used to conflicts lasting longer than the USA has been a country? Check.

Against advice, Prez won't raise taxes to pay for war? Check.

Blue water navy ships operating in brown water? Check.

Use of nukes hinted at if things don't go our way? Check.

Unpopular war? Check.

[andyfox]

Untruths and illogic daily from our government? Check.

Blank check given to president at the get-go by congress? Check.

Manichean worldview, we're all good, they're all bad? Check.

Domino theory invoked? Check.

Reporters being harrassed? Check.

Diasaster for the United States and the country being invaded? Hopefully not check.

[Ray Zee]

and the financing of this one trillion dollar extravaganza---your check

[Parmenides]

Long term disaster? Check.

In reading about the history of Islam, it becomes clear that Jihads last a very long time. The Shiite/Sunni split has been going on for over 1300 years.

I predict that Bush will invade Iran after he invades Iraq.Iran has oil.

Bush will never invade North Korea. They have no oil. The terrain is tough, and they've already accounted for 35 thousand American dead the first time. He might nuke them, however.

[Jimbo]

Mamasans--- no check
Cheap prostitutes---no check
Jungles to hide in---no check
Monsoons---no check
Rice Paddies---no check
Democrat in the White House---no check
Good Dope---check


Well there is one thing in common with Nam! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[brad]

jim jim jim. (sigh)

the cheap prostitutes come *after* the war starts.

[scalf]

[img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] get out the old beach boys album...roll up a joint...protest marches..sit-ins...peeing on pentagon...hey...bring back the sixties...far-frigging out [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] man..

[BruceZ]

Of course there are also some significant differences:

Iraq poses a direct threat the security of the US. Vietnam did not.

Iraq posesses or is actively seeking to posess biological, nuclear, and chemical weapons. Vietnam did not.

Iraq is associated with terrorists who are at war with the US. Vietnam was not.

Iraq is in violation of its terms of surrender from a previous war. Vietam was not.

The Iraq war is our war. The Vietnam war was not.

Iraq is a threat to its neighboring countries. Vietnam was not.

Iraq controls natural resources crucial to the US. Vietnam did not.

Iraq is severely weakened from a previous war which they lost to us. Vietnam was not.

The vast majority of Iraqi soldiers will not fight and will quickly surrender. Vietnam soldiers certainly did not.

The US now posesses modern weaponry such as bombs so precise that they can choose which window of building to fly into, conventional bombs which exceed the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and stealth B2 bombers to name just a few. In Vietnam we did not.

The war in Vienam raged on for over 15 years. The war in Iraq could well be over in 15 days.

There is one potential similarity between the war in Iraq and the Vietnam war. In Vietnam, dissension at home against the war placed our troops in the field at great peril. If vocal dissension continues after the decision to attack is made, this will also be true in Iraq.

[WTF]

Checkmate

[Tom D]

We can pay for that with all our new oil.

Tom D