# George Bush's stoopid "lesson" of Vietnam **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415 "2005-07-07T04:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/21 "2005-07-08T07:15:53Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > No, I think the evidence shows that Bush has made _new_ mistakes of his own in addition to the mistakes of the past. Well, at least he’s progressive and forward-thinking. He’s not going to have his hands tied by history. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/22 "2005-07-10T17:06:23Z")
I thought that the lesson of the Vietnam war was “Don’t get into a war unless you have a really good reason.” ---
**Author:** ![Ex\_Machina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/23 "2005-07-10T17:29:10Z")
Over the last 25 years or so there seems to have been a creeping revisionism regarding Vietnam. I recall reading accounts of the illegal bombing of Cambodia and the killing of innocent rustic civilians being the reason for their joining Pol Pot. The build-up of the Khmer Rouge was largely due to Nixon’s and Kissinger’s murderous acts. Now it is standard for right-wing talking heads to cite the murders of the Khmer Rouge as proof that our actions in Vietnam were justified. The only person I’ve ever seen oppose this contention was Janeane Garofalo who asked Bill O’Reilly something like “What history book are you reading?” The War Powers Act was a victim of this revisionism and refusal to learn from the lessons of an unjustified war. ---
**Author:** ![Purejay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@Purejay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purejay)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/24 "2005-07-12T01:41:22Z")
You guys are funny. Yes we Americans are the scum of the Earth – we are the devil !! Everyone of those 3000 who died in the WTC bombings deserved it !! Sadam wasnt a TERRORIST ! Who are we trying to kid !! Maybe we should have a tea party with them and talk it all out. They would rather slit your throat as to even look at you. BEFORE WE WENT INTO IRAQ EINSTEINS ! You all act like all of the worlds problems are because of GW — Too funny. GW is the one who had the balls to finally say enough is enough. Here we come mofos. Would you all rather crawl into a corner somwhere and suck your thumbs ? The entire Middle East is filled with Savages and Barbarians… but you all would rather let it fester and let it reach our shores and fight it out here. Islam is the worlds cancer. And needs to be eradicated. You libs will never get it… keep preaching that we all are stupid - keep preaching that the USA is evil and wrong for going to war… You wont be in the White House in this decade… keep preaching brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/25 "2005-07-12T01:44:54Z")
Wow. A flameout on someone’s first post. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Gene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Soylent\_Gene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Gene)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/26 "2005-07-12T02:26:34Z")
He shot his wad with that Rant. He may never be back. I dont have any problem with getting revenge for 9-11 and taking out Al Qaida and the Taliban. This is off-topic, but **Purejay** , why didn’t we send 100,000 troops to Afghanistan? Thats where all the savages, barbarians, and terrorists were. **And if GW had any balls, he’d have fought in Vietnam!** ---
**Author:** ![zega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@zega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zega)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/27 "2005-07-12T04:07:40Z")
> [@Purejay](#): > > Islam is the worlds cancer. And needs to be eradicated. > > You libs will never get it… keep preaching that we all are stupid - keep preaching that the USA is evil and wrong for going to war… You wont be in the White House in this decade… keep preaching brothers. So genocide is the answer then. I see. Embrace immorality and reject it in the same breath. You’d make Karl Rove proud. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/28 "2005-07-12T13:53:52Z")
**Purejay** , if all you have to offer is unconsidered and fact free venom, you might want to refrain from posting it in this Forum. This is the place for debates, not broad condemnations of whole peoples or attacks on other posters. If you have some actual facts to discuss, you are welcome to return, otherwise, Do Not post in this manner, again in this Forum. [/Moderator Mode] ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/29 "2005-07-12T13:58:36Z")
Now, to address some of your wilder claims: If “they” are all savages, why has President Bush claimed that he is interested in helping them establish democratic governments instead of simply occupying them? If you have any evidence that the Iraqis had anything to do with the attack on the WTC and Pentagon, now would be the time to present it, otherwqise, you are calling president Bush (who has, reluctantly, backed away from his own hints and suggestions) a liar, given that he hs said that the Iraqis played no role in the WTC/Pentagon attacks. Your attack on Islam is simply silly, but if you wish to make a more reasoned claim against that religion, you will need to provide evidence, not mouth-foaming rhetoric. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/30 "2005-07-12T17:04:48Z")
> [@Soylent Gene](#): > > the “lesson of Vietnam is that you should let the Generals fight the war, not the politicians” What if Bush had said, ‘the lesson of Vietnam (as with the continuing instability in the Middle East) is that the United States has too often, and far too long, paid the price for European nationalism and colonialism with it’s own blood’? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/31 "2005-07-12T17:40:23Z")
> [@Purejay](#): > > Islam is the worlds cancer. And needs to be eradicated. > [@](#): > > Originally posted by **[President George W. Bush](http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/ramadan/islam.html)** > \*Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans. Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others. Ours is a country based upon tolerance and we welcome people of all faiths in America > \* Saying things like “Islam is the world’s cancer and needs to be eradicated” are (in the usual words of flag-waving right-wingers) “giving aid and comfort to the enemy”. Proclaiming that America is at war with Islam is doing _exactly_ what the terrorists want you to do. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/32 "2005-07-12T18:14:17Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > What if Bush had said, ‘the lesson of Vietnam (as with the continuing instability in the Middle East) is that the United States has too often, and far too long, paid the price for European nationalism and colonialism with it’s own blood’? I’d agree with that. The so-called Pottery Barn rule is “You break it, you bought it,” not “Somebody else broke it but you have to pay for it, anyway.” Personally, I thought the lesson of Vietnam was that if a committed local force keeps up the pressure, costs, and casualties long enough the foreign power will get sick of it and make up an excuse to leave, an excuse usually along the lines of, “The (fill in blank) people are prepared to provide for their own defense,” when it is patently untrue. Seems there were a lot of lessons to be drawn from that war. > [@duffer](#): > > Well, at least he’s progressive and forward-thinking. He’s not going to have his hands tied by history. I thought that was supposed to be a joke until I reread the poster’s name. Now I’m just confused. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415/33 "2005-07-12T19:08:07Z")
Lemme guess, **Purejay** … Ann Coulter fan? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-bushs-stoopid-lesson-of-vietnam/311415.md?page=1)