What should be the lessons of Vietnam and Iraq for the U.S.?

[checks-n-balances]

Choose one:

1) Learn from our mistakes (number of troops, budget, recruitment, gear provided, outsourcing of troops, battle tactics, exit plan, media coverage, etc.) so that next time we can win.

2) Correct mistakes we have made in terms of getting the American people "on board" and make sure they "buy into" the reasons for the war.

3) Go to war as a last resort, and only after an honest debate between the government and people, and not without at least some international support.

4) Add your own...

[randr]

1. Never hire a man from Texas as our temp help-

[HereSince1628]

2. Beware the young crazies working for the hawks...

In 25-30 years they'll come back and start another war.

[TomClash]

3. How about this novel concept

Tell the truth.

[Inspired]

4. Mama don't let your babies

grow up to be cowboys.

[niallmac]

5. Teach the next generation how to think critically.

Teach our kids that it is unpatriotic to kill other people just because your government tells you to. It is a citizens responsibility to think and question. War is a bad mojo and you better not let some pin head send you off to die for no good reason.
One other lesson. 55+ thousand dead in a crummy war like Vietnam and we STILL swallowed the big lie. Are we getting smarter. Are the smart pills starting to taste like something familliar?

[checks-n-balances]

6. Great replies - and here's what I SHOULD have had as #4...

4) HONESTLY examine the mistakes of both debacles and DON'T REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES!!

Our powers-that-be OBVIOUSLY learned none of the REAL lessons from Vietnam, they just had their own solutions and, unfortunately, applied them in Iraq.

They launched a gigantic and fraudulent sales job on the public while controlling the media and stifling any protest against it. When the public finally realized they were lied to, they turned against the war (or at least they're beginning to). I could be describing either war in this case, except this time the GOP has more money, more power, and pretty much no scruples this time. And the stakes and costs are actually higher too. They couldn't be more wrong...AGAIN.

The answer is NOT to put a lid on honest questions and analysis with strong-arm and even criminal tactics (i.e., the Plame case, DSM, etc.). Lying to the American peoplo (and to the rest of the world) through the media and then stifling legitimate questions is like someone in a powerful position physically abusing someone, then further abusing them psychologically when they begin to realize they've been abused and start connecting the dots.

Now I'm just rambling, but I just hope the American people WAKE UP from this nightmare and, this time, don't let it happen AGAIN (i.e., can we spell I-R-A-N?)!

[bemildred]

7. Mind your own f**king business. nt

[oscar111]

8. big mistakes were diff in the two cases

i cant lump them together at all.

except for the similarity of end=game failure.. a swamp in which we slowly lose.

however you have some great ideas in the OP.

Liked the one also, a re, abut

think critically.

rene Descartes.. Question All, even that i exist.

sparked science. and france's progressives.

[hollowdweller]

9. Before you decide to remove a bad guy make sure a %age really wants that