Would we have won the Vietnam war with today's technology?

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the politicians allowed the Military to put ALL their resources into it.


 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
0
0
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the military put ALL its resources into it.

It wasn't the military's call. It was a political leadership thing. The military wasn't given specific objectives and the ones that were given were constantly changing.
 

MacGaven

Golden Member
Dec 5, 2002
1,854
0
0
If we had today's technology and thinking then we never would have entered Vietnam.
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
Originally posted by: jemcam
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the military put ALL its resources into it.

It wasn't the military's call. It was a political leadership thing. The military wasn't given specific objectives and the ones that were given were constantly changing.

i edited my post to better reflect this :)

i knew it wasnt the military's fault.. they wanted to win... people(politicians) wouldnt let them do their job.

 

Brutuskend

Lifer
Apr 2, 2001
26,558
4
0
No, it was politics that lost that war.

And the fact that people could see dead Americans on the 6:00 news.

The Gov. learned a lot about THAT and it's consequences since then. They keep a MUCH tighter reign on the newies now.
rolleye.gif


IMO that's a BAD thing. People should have war in their face's. Then maybe it would be less popular.

BTW: Although I was against NAM, I totally think we SHOULD be removing Sadam.

Also, we had to be willing to fight them the same way they fought us. Because of our "Standards" we couldn't do that.
 

Zim Hosein

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Super Moderator
Nov 27, 1999
65,129
399
126
Originally posted by: Grasshopper27
No, because we never really tried to win that war.

: ) Hopper

Welcome Back Hopper :)

As for winning the Vietman War, that's a hard question, if we have today's technology, would they as well?
 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
0
0
Originally posted by: guyver01
Originally posted by: jemcam
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the military put ALL its resources into it.

It wasn't the military's call. It was a political leadership thing. The military wasn't given specific objectives and the ones that were given were constantly changing.

i edited my post to better reflect this :)

i knew it wasnt the military's fault.. they wanted to win... people(politicians) wouldnt let them do their job.

Good! You're right, the military wanted to win and could have with proper leadership starting with JFK and ending with RMN.
 

Spamela

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2000
3,859
0
76
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the politicians allowed the Military to put ALL their resources into it.

someone's been watching too many Rambo movies.

win a guerilla war against an opponent who refuses to quit in a land where our armored vehicles aren't of much use on behalf of a corrupt regime? i don't think so.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Also, we had to be willing to fight them the same way they fought us. Because of our "Standards" we couldn't do that.

So we should have strapped grenades to children?
 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
0
0
Originally posted by: Spamela
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the politicians allowed the Military to put ALL their resources into it.

someone's been watching too many Rambo movies.

win a guerilla war against an opponent who refuses to quit in a land where our armored vehicles aren't of much use on behalf of a corrupt regime? i don't think so.

So you're saying the war was unwinnable? We could have won that war if the politicans had stayed out of it after they committed our forces.
 

Brutuskend

Lifer
Apr 2, 2001
26,558
4
0
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Also, we had to be willing to fight them the same way they fought us. Because of our "Standards" we couldn't do that.

So we should have strapped grenades to children?

No.

But if you want to win a war where people are willing to do those types of thing's, you have to be willing to fight the way THEY fight.
Terror tactics.

My Ex Brother in Law was a Marine over there, and was attached for a short time to the R.O.K. Marines(Black Ops). They fought that way, and the Viet Cong were afraid of them. His job (My Brother-in-law) was to go out at night and "instill fear" into the enemy.

That was the ONLY way the war could have been won I.M.O.
 

dexvx

Diamond Member
Feb 2, 2000
3,899
0
0
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the politicians allowed the Military to put ALL their resources into it.

WTF do you think the politician's job is? The military's job is to win the war at all costs, whereas a [good] politician has to weigh in the consequences and limit the military based on those consequences. Yea the USA could have won, just carpet bomb Vietnam with nukes, but that would've been extremely unpopular. Or how about incidenaries on all the forests and wiping them clean? Or maybe sending in 10 million soldiers?

The difference with Vietnam and Iraq is that in Vietnam, the USA was supporting a corrupt and unpopular regime. A lot of south vietnamese people would die rather than see their country go down the crapper.

No, because we never really tried to win that war.

Yea 3/4 of a million personnel in Vietnam and dropping more bombs than WWII combined several times over? Probably not trying as hard as WWII, but definitely trying.
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
If we gave some AK-47s to Napoleon, would we all be speaking french today?

Harry Turtledove i believe has a novel which explores that..

 

Grasshopper27

Banned
Sep 11, 2002
7,013
1
0
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
Welcome Back Hopper :)
:D :D :D

As for winning the Vietman War, that's a hard question, if we have today's technology, would they as well?
Yes, but they still have the same old T-62 and T-72 tanks, and look how well they are working for Iraq. ;)

: ) Hopper
 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
0
0
Originally posted by: dexvx
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the politicians allowed the Military to put ALL their resources into it.

WTF do you think the politician's job is? The military's job is to win the war at all costs, whereas a [good] politician has to weigh in the consequences and limit the military based on those consequences. Yea the USA could have won, just carpet bomb Vietnam with nukes, but that would've been extremely unpopular. Or how about incidenaries on all the forests and wiping them clean? Or maybe sending in 10 million soldiers?

The difference with Vietnam and Iraq is that in Vietnam, the USA was supporting a corrupt and unpopular regime. A lot of south vietnamese people would die rather than see their country go down the crapper.

No, because we never really tried to win that war.

Yea 3/4 of a million personnel in Vietnam and dropping more bombs than WWII combined several times over? Probably not trying as hard as WWII, but definitely trying.

The politician's job is to authorize force and give clear objectives; for instance the Gulf War.

1. Get Saddam's Army out of Iraq and get the Kuwaiti's back into their country.
2. Deny Iraq's Army the opportunity and ability to reinvade.
3. Have a minimum of US casualties.


Mission accomplished!


 

MrYogi

Platinum Member
Mar 15, 2003
2,680
0
0
probably no. It was fought in the jungles. Latest technology probably won't work there. :)
 

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
81
We could've won it with the tech of the day. We didn't lose to the enemy, we lost to ourselves. (read: poor overall stratagy)
 

Spamela

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2000
3,859
0
76
Originally posted by: jemcam
Originally posted by: Spamela
Originally posted by: guyver01
We would have won the Vietnam war with Vietnam technology... if the politicians allowed the Military to put ALL their resources into it.

someone's been watching too many Rambo movies.

win a guerilla war against an opponent who refuses to quit in a land where our armored vehicles aren't of much use on behalf of a corrupt regime? i don't think so.

So you're saying the war was unwinnable? We could have won that war if the politicans had stayed out of it after they committed our forces.

unwinnable? probably, unless we'd resorted to a massive nuke campaign.
 

RalphKramden

Banned
Apr 8, 2003
282
0
0
Originally posted by: guyver01
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
If we gave some AK-47s to Napoleon, would we all be speaking french today?

Harry Turtledove i believe has a novel which explores that..

Guyver, this guy has a bunch.
Check it out.
I'm going to hit my local library first on this author. Looks quite interesting.
 

ScrapSilicon

Lifer
Apr 14, 2001
13,625
0
0
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
Originally posted by: guyver01
Originally posted by: RalphKramden
If we gave some AK-47s to Napoleon, would we all be speaking french today?

Harry Turtledove i believe has a novel which explores that..

Guyver, this guy has a bunch.
Check it out.
I'm going to hit my local library first on this author. Looks quite interesting.

Turtledove's book was on the American Civil War..and no...Napoleon would have still lost..Russia was a bad idea on his part..;)