🚀 go-pugleaf

Thus Spake pcguru19@mail.idt.net (Doug Martin):

%Our strategy in the Vietnam war was at fault, not the tet offensive.

I'd quibble-I'd say the lack therof.

%We would send boys to die for control of a village, then fly them out
%of there after victory was attained.  Logistically, fighting a war

You're missing the point-Vietnam was an area, not linear war.  Taking a villiage
didn't mean anything.  The only thing that mattered under Westmoreland's
strategy was killing NLF and PAVN troops.

%halfway across the globe was a nightmare and to add insult to injury,
%we were using what resources were available to ship troops budwieser
%and steaks instead of rations and ammo.  

Oh please.  No matter what your feelings on the war, anyone has to admit the
logistical effort was incredible.  The troops were sustained.

%Even is we had used a sound offensive strategy, had an Army en force
%there and taken all of Vietnam, we still wouldn't have won.  You can
%never, ever, ever conquer a people with a strong resolve.  The Romans

Bullshit.  How many people can recite the Algebensian Creed?  And when the
Muslims of Central Asia revolted against Ghengis Khan, he turned their entire
country into a howling desert and killed millions.  You can defeat anyone if you
put your mind to it.  Political feasability of doing so is another issue.

%learnt that in England and Ireland.  The British learnt that in
%America.  America learnt that in Vietnam. The Soviets learnt that in
%Afghanistan.  To defeat the enemy in that situation, all that's
%required is that you not loose the war.  You can loose every battle
%(Washington won very few, and is viewed as a conqueror) and if you can
%still offer resistance over a long enough time, you'll win. 

Of course, that's assuming the enemy doesn't start killing your population
faster than you can recruit guerillas.  For example, the Germans in Yugoslavia.
Granted, Tito controlled large areas of the population, but 10% of Yugoslavia's
pre-war population was killed.  Not casualties, but dead.  You can't win a
guerilla war against a determined enemy unless you have massive outside support,
and the enemy is distracted either by political turmoil, or other wars.


John M. Atkinson
jatkinso@gmu.edu
"A nation which despises its soldiers will all too soon 
have a despicable army
                 --Jerry Pournelle