August 22, 2005
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Hagel Compares Iraq To Vietnam
Not “Staying The Course” Is Exactly Why We Lost!
“WASHINGTON (AP) – A leading Republican senator (C. Hagel from Nebraska) and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.”
Senator Hagel has recently compared the Iraq war to the Vietnam war years ago. This is a common comparison that is usually stated by liberals in effort to undermine our war effort. The reason it made Drudge’s headline is because it was a republican who made the comparison.
This accusation is pointless. Even if this war is somewhat similar to Vietnam, this administration is and has been doing everything in their power to make this accusation a false one. One of the reasons we failed in Vietnam is because we did not stay the course, but yet the libs complain about “staying the course” in Iraq. Its total hypocrisy! Liberals supported the withdrawment of Vietnam, and these same liberals are claiming we should withdraw from Iraq because its becoming Vietnam! Well if we pull out now, yes it will become another Vietnam. If we pull out now, millions of people will die. Anyone who honestly believes that we should massively pull out troops from Iraq is a loon. What would that accomplish? Even if you disagree on why we are there, what’s the point of pulling out? Not only will that endanger millions of Iraqis but we would lose the war. Is that really what you lefties want? Do you really wake up every morning wishing that the US lost this war? Wait, don’t answer, ill answer for you. Don’t forget, I am an expert on liberalism. Yes, that’s exactly what you libs want. You want us to lose in Iraq because you believe we deserve to lose. This is how the left thinks, they believe its our fault of soldiers are dying in Iraq. They point their fingers at America and claim we are the ones responsible for terrorist attacks. Its all our fault! No matter what the terrorists do, no matter how many Americans they behead, no matter how many Americans they murder, in the minds of those on the left, we provoked it, and we deserve it.
Morrison
Comments (18)
I’d feel better about agreeing with you if you weren’t such a jerk about making a point.
Oh glorious Mikey! How I love it when you speak for the “libs.” I find it interesting that in the last two posts, you have referred to yourself as an expert on “liberals,” although in your last posting you also declared ” Im just a 15 year old amateur blogger.” Which is it? Well, apparently I am not a lib, because I feel that we must finish the job in Iraq. Not because we would “lose the war,” as you assert, but because a withdrawal from Iraq at this time would certainly spell doom for those who we (apparently, now that this has conveniently become a humanitarian mission) fought to liberate.
But then, there’s this…
“One of the reasons we failed in Vietnam is because we did not stay the course”
Are you serious? I am certain that this lack of perspective could be cured by (a) reading any history book on the Vietnam conflict, or (b) paying attention in your Sophomore US History survey [assuming your school can still afford one].
Oh, and as far as the reason why I return to your site…no, it’s not because I fear you – I have serious doubts that anyone who visits your site, or knows you in person, does. Rather, it is because this place is like a never ending homerun derby. You just keep on lobbing these suckers over the plate so that those of us can just smack them out of the park. Sometimes I actually wonder if you are not, in fact, a radical socialist simply working to discredit those in the Right who actually have their heads screwed on straight.
How can you be an expert on liberals if you aren’t one? I mean, really. I don’t think anyone could be an expert on conservatism or liberalism or anything other political facet, because they are constantly changing and are so multi-layered.
I do agree with you, however.
It is like Vietnam, the military is being hancuffed by the politicians. Our media is a failure, surprise, surprise. Staying the course is not only dumb but deadly. Either this nation gets the balls do win this thing by getting the politicians out of the general’s way or we leave. No half ass approach will do. They have been sending in-adaquate amounts of men into battles so they can keep casualties down. Wrong. If you want to win you send however many men are needed to win the battle. I don’t think this administration has read Cluasewitz.
But the nation has no stomach for war. People are more and more convinced that it served no vital interest of the security of the United States, and they want their sons home. Bush doesn’t have the will to win, so bring the boys home so they don’t have to die for some half assed job done by politicians in DC.
Wilson failed and so will Bush. Iraq will become Iran jr. Got to love that democratic crusade. Make the world safe for democracy so we can have another war in 20 years!
I think the idea that Iraq is another Vietnam is more than the simplistic way you said it is… even if we put your expert knowledge of liberals aside, you will realize that we have made a lot of mistakes in Iraq from not enough troops, no post-invasion planning, no contingency plans, no exit strategy, not enough proper equipment, improper chalk board material banter, not enough intelligence, not enough international help since we pissed everyone off, the mistakes at military prisons and so on… these mistakes have caused our efforts in Iraq to be hampered in such a way that total victory is impossible… the only people who do not think we have made mistakes are the die-hard Bushites, but nearly everyone from intelligence groups, Pentagon, mainstream Republicans and down recognize that we have made mistakes…
Well, Morrison, when you’re right you’re right. It happens a lot.
AND I HAVE RETURNED FROM THE CONCERT….
Well…I make myself sick saying this but comparing Iraq to Vietnam is such a grossed out comparison. The only thing I agree with you is that such comparison is not valid. However as I stated in my long ass comment that you probably failed to read due to your intellect, there are indeed huge problems present in the rebuilding in Iraq and the reason going there, but since we are in there we definitely gotta finish it.
So of course you can’t blame this failure on the libs, but rather the administrations half-assed attempt at entering the war and completing it.
“Do you really wake up every morning wishes that the US lost this war? Wait, don’t answer, ill answer for you. Don’t forget, I am an expert on liberalism. Yes, that’s exactly what you libs want.”
No comment on this……………………….
Concert was kickass…..oh but I laughed so hard when my friends made a political song that literally sucked. Too bad my friend is leaving for college and I wont be seeing him for 6 months.
But I digress.
Note to self: Stop anyone who tries to start a mosh-pit or just throw in the emO kids.
Well Morrison this post has toned down a bit on the arrogance but it still remains.
“Well, Morrison, when you’re right you’re right. It happens a lot.”
Couldnt have said it better
“I’d feel better about agreeing with you if you weren’t such a jerk about making a point.”
I’d have to say he hit the nail on the head on this one.
i dont, but it bothers me that all u do is bash on those “wacky libs.”
anyway, uhh…sweat, huh? thats cuz im just so freakkin HOT! lol. jk.
ttyl kiddo.
Look, I’m not a liberal, I’m an anarchist. Don’t try to speak for me. And no, just because I’m an anarchist doesn’t mean that I thrive on violence and war; actually, the opposite is true. Although I have opposed the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan from their respective inceptions, I do understand the need to stay in Iraq now. If we were to leave now, there would be a catastrophic loss of order and, yes, many, many people would die as a result.
Furthermore, I agree with you in the fact that comparing Vietnam to Iraq is very inaccurate. In Vietnam, we were fighting an organized foe with insurgents supplementing the North Vietnamese Army. We were able to pull out because the government of North Vietnam was ready to step in and maintain order. No, Morrison, I don’t support this, or Ho Chi Minh, but I do believe that a communist government was a better choice than a prolonged, bloody war, or a total loss or order when the people were not ready for it. No, Morrison, that is not what anarchy is about. Anarchy is a progressive movement that struggles to eliminate hierarichal organization from all areas of society in order to bring about a greater level of peace and understanding for humankind.
Now, Iraq differs from Vietnam primarily because there is no centralized enemy, and thus no enemy to take control and maintain vital services such as water and electricity in the country. This makes it extremely unwise for the United States to pull out of Iraq now, or even in the near future. The United States lost in Vietnam because we lost the heart and soul of the Vietnamese people; we have repeated this mistake in Iraq. In Iraq, however, the enemy is faceless, cunning, and willing to sacrifice everything in support of their beliefs.
Now, I have repeatedly said that I do not support pulling out of Iraq; what I do support is George W. Bush publicly apologizing to A) the American people for knowingly or unknowlingly deceiving them about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and B) the United Nations for his gross disrespect of their wishes and advice. Then, he needs to seek the help of the United Nations in maintaining order, getting supplies and healthcare to Iraqis who need it, and setting up a government that the Iraqis will actually support. This does not mean a democracy; if anything that we know about the region is true, a theocracy will most likely be the most supported form of government.
P.S. In my spare time, I raise money to build schools in third-world countries. I have already raised, with a group of dedicated and caring friends, $10,000 to build two one-room schoolhouses, one in Mulukuku, Nicaragua, and another one in the Sierra Leone. What do you do with your spare time to make the world a better place?
I think it’s just become “in” to compare Iraq to Vietnam. (Probably alot of middle-aged lefties trying to relive their lost flower-power, hippy youth – looking to bust out their beads and face-paint and sing “We shall overcome” and whatnot)
Stlwing is right when he says that the US cannot win this war if it has to do it half-assed and with one hand tied behind its back. America must become very decisive in Iraq, do what has to be done and then get the hell out of there.
Hey! I remember you! I can’t remember if you had this same site, but I used to comment on your site about a year ago. During the presidential elections…boy we were hot last year about this time….that was the good ole days, Morrison!
Take care, and I’ll be seeing you around!
Politicians shouldn’t fight the wars, generals should fight the wars. Right now, I see the generals being directed by the politicians, in this sense it is like Vietnam. However, the circumstances are entirely different, and we will win and democracy will prevail. In that sense, it is nothing like Vietnam.
Apologize to the UN? Ha!
anriar- You don’t support the war in Afghanistan? Gosh, if murdering 3000 U.S. citizens isn’t enough to start a war, I don’t know what is.
“We’ve finally given liberals a war against fundamentalism, and they don’t want to fight it. They would, except it would put them on the same side as the United States.”
- Ann Coulter
Gotta love Ann.
“no. it’s the opposite”
Nope, it’s not. The generals cannot do what they want to do because of the political pressure being placed upon them. Killing people and breaking things, that’s what war is. That’s what we should be doing, but because the administration is afraid of another Vietnam, they won’t let the media get the same sorts of images they got in Vietnam, so they don’t let the generals do what is necessary to fight the war, the way it should be faught.
Lets not forget Ann also said this
“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren’t punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That’s war. And this is war.”
“Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along the lines of ‘kill everyone who doesn’t smell bad and doesn’t answer to the name Mohammed’”Ha when it comes to partisan blindness and complete and utter disregard for other people’s cultures
Gotta love Ann
maybe Democracy will prevail but it will not be the democracy that we know…
Please for the love of all that is good in the country, if you are trying to make a point why in the world would you ever quote the right-wing version of Michael Moore? Her lack of facts and understanding makes me glad that no one, outside of those who will never have power, take her seriously…