[TheForge] O/T Survivor

[Ries Niemi]

On Friday, January 2, 2004, at 04:01 PM, schade@acegroup.cc wrote:

> Armed citizenry (VietCong) won the Vietnam War with our war surplus 
> .30 cal. carbines and AK 47s. Many airstrikes and artillery barages 
> were launched against 100lb guys wearing black pajamas. I saw them.
>
> If you are in doubt that we actually lost remember the picures of us 
> pushing Hueys overboard so that the last of our people could get out 
> before the embassy was over run. Not to mention the fact that Saigon 
> is now Ho Chi Mihn City.
>
> Armed citizenry are currently giving the US Army quite a bit of 
> trouble in Iraq. Winner is yet to be decided.
>
>
> Bob
> ____
>
Bob- I have the utmost respect for you and every other soldier who was 
there.
But 2 points-
1- factories in russia and china were producing weapons and ammo, and 
sending em down to vietnam- This is what I meant by support from an 
outside government.
2- political considerations dictated military strategy in vietnam. this 
is not to say that the obviously very strong will of the vietnamese 
people might not have won anyway, but I think from a purely military 
standpoint, the vietnam war probably could have been won, with enormous 
casulties on both sides, and virtual destruction of the country, but 
won nonetheless.

As far as Iraq goes, we will see- but again I think political 
considerations will trump military ones. Kind of an unusual situation, 
in that Saddam supposedly stockpiled more small arms ammo in Iraq than 
just about any army in the world usually keeps in stock. Guerilla wars 
are usually not won militarily by the guerilla's, but politically.