Bush: Vietnam war offered lessons for Iraq (Irony alert)

[maddezmom]

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent
13 minutes ago


HANOI, Vietnam - President Bush said Friday the United States' unsuccessful war in Vietnam three decades ago offered lessons for the American-led struggle in Iraq. "We'll succeed unless we quit," Bush said shortly after arriving in this one-time war capital.

Bush met here with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, one of America's strongest allies in Iraq, Vietnam and other conflicts. The president said there were lessons to be learned from the divisive Vietnam war — the longest conflict in U.S. history — as the United States wages the unpopular war in Iraq, now in its fourth year.

"We tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take awhile," the president said. He called the Iraq war a "great struggle" and said, "It's just going to take a long period of time for the ideology that is hopeful — and that is an ideology of freedom — to overcome an ideology of hate."

In the years since the 1975 fall of the Washington-backed regime in Saigon, the United States and Vietnam have reconciled their war differences. Bush said he found it hopeful that countries can "move beyond past differences for the common good."

more;http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061117/ap_on_re_as/bush

said the chickenhawk in chief :puke:

[Kagemusha]

1. He'd rather we still be in Vietnam today?

What a lesson for the children.

[wholetruth00]

17. Vietnam offered lessons that no one in the US gov't really heeded.

[OKIsItJustMe]

30. The big fool said to push on.

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/snd/waistdeep.html

...
The Sergeant said, "Sir, with all this equipment
No man will be able to swim."
"Sergeant, don't be a Nervous Nellie,"
The Captain said to him.
"All we need is a little determination;
Men, follow me, I'll lead on."
We were -- neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool said to push on.
...

Pete Seeger, 1963

[arewenotdemo]

2. Incredible. The Cheerleader-in-Chief goes to Hanoi

to tell the Vietnamese that they only won the war because "we quit".

58,000 American dead says otherwise.

"The elections mean the American people want to know if we have a plan for success".

No, you dumb fuck. It means that more and more Americans are realizing that you lied this country into a vanity/legacy war, and now want your sorry ass out of office.

[modrepub]

3. Agree

Don't forget the 1.5 million or so Vietnamese who died. Given the raw numbers of dead I can't see how either side could claim a great victory in this conflict. Not sure if Vietnam could claim a real victory against us considering the close ties they want with us.


Hopefully the Vietnamese government will overlook this insult. Strange how the president misses the point that the Vietnamese want close ties with us and we desperately need them as an ally in a coalition (Japan, Korea, Australia) to balance out China.

[arewenotdemo]

4. Oh, I haven't forgotten the millions of Vietnamese killed and maimed

I consider what America did to be genocide. The perpeTRAITORS should have all hung.

Unfortunately, most Americans couldn't have cared less about the Vietnamese.

They and their ideological brethren have since allowed a cabal of chickenhawk slime to repeat history, albeit on a lesser scale.

[modrepub]

32. There are no winners in war

only lesser degrees of losing. I forget who said that but Viet Nam is a perfect example of this.

[saigon68]

6. It will end this way

The Wall

by Alfred A. Hambidge, Jr.

http://www.hackworth.com/article03112003z.html

The snow was coming down pretty heavy as I walked towards the National Mall. I've always liked walking during a snowstorm; everything seems so quiet, every noise is muffled, even here in D.C. And this storm was a doozy, hammering much of the East Coast. I don't know why, but I started heading for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

I came upon a man in fatigues. Though one of those floppy green hats covered his head, he seemed under dressed considering the cold.

Upon my approach, he said to no one in particular, "Goddamn bastards are doing it again."

"They never saw what napalm does do a little girl's skin. They never saw a 19-year-old from Iowa screaming and writhing on the ground because a mine blew his legs off. They never saw a man take a bullet through the brain, then watch his body flop around on the ground for a minute or so because it doesn't realize he's dead. They never put pieces of someone into a bag, not knowing who it was until you read the tags, because there wasn't any face left to go along with the other parts. They haven't seen the shit I've seen, and they want to do it all over again. Those bastards!

[Bear down under]

5. during the run-up to Iraq

I heard Mr Bush on the radio here saying "This won't be another Vietnam. This time there won't be any body bags on television." Is that the only lesson he learned? Not to mismanage the PR?

[harun]

7. "Bush: Vietnam war offered lessons for Iraq" - Kissingers Ghost

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061117/ap_on_re_as/bush

HANOI, Vietnam - President Bush said Friday the United States' unsuccessful war in Vietnam three decades ago offered lessons for the American-led struggle in Iraq. "We'll succeed unless we quit," Bush said shortly after arriving in this one-time war capital.

The American public needs to be made very aware that the Bush "plan" all along has been to occupy Iraq forever. What a stupid thing to say to the Vietnamese. He is basically saying "If we would have stayed and killed enough of you off we would have won".

[wake.up.america]

8. Another winner!!

[bowens43]

9. Huh?

[GCP]

10. He appears to lost all touch with reality

We would never have won in Vietnam, no matter how many lives we threw away over there.

[htuttle]

11. He said that in...Vietnam?

Aye-chi-wawa... :wow:

It's become obvious he's completely off his rocker, but why is he off his leash, too? Isn't there some adult who's supposed to be watching him?

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. ...there are lessons, but only if we LEARN from them..which he's not!

[HaggardsMethDealer]

13. Another one of those tactless Bush quotes! Comedy gold!

Great move Bush...say that in Vietnam while you are on a diplomatic mission.

"We could have wiped you clowns off the map if we wouldn't have given up....now watch this drive"

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[Warren Stupidity]

14. In RightWingWorld

where facts are not important, where reality is whatever you need it to be, the retarded leader of the Stupid States of America demonstrates complete disregard for time and place as he insults his hosts by informing them that it was a terrible mistake that the Stupid States did not continue to slaughter the people of Viet Nam for a few more decades, while making it completely clear that RightWingWorld has learned only to believe its own revisionist face saving bullshit when it comes to the Viet Nam War, and that the Cretinous Criminal Cabal in the White House has not budged one inch on Stay The Course. The Iraqi people can expect nothing but more of the same until the Cabal is removed from power.

[arewenotdemo]

35. well said

[Nickster]

15. Wow, just wow. How does he stay this stuff with a straight face? I mean, sure, there were

lessons to be learned from Vietnam and as much as I hate to say it, Poppy learned a hell of a lot more of them than Dubya. The one thing that made me really proud during Desert Storm was how often I heard Vietnam Vets still in the ranks talking about those lessons and how we would avoid those mistakes. I heard that message often from the top down to the little guys like me. Just about a decade later and all of those leaders are gone and those precious lessons are thrown out the window.

Dubya's takeaway from that entire experience is that we just weren't obstinate enough.

[OhioChick]

16. This takes the cake. n/t

[PsychoDad]

18. So involved in his own fantasy....

Doesn't even think that his statement is so asinine.

"If we had 'stayed the course' here, we would have won"... To the very same people we were bombing and killing with the war.

He should be impeached on the grounds that he is an oafish embarrassment to our country.

peace.

[ashling]

19. Bush: Viet Nam War lessons for US

Hanoi -- US President Bush said Friday the United States' unsuccessful war in Vietnam three decades ago offered lessons for the American-led struggle in Iraq. "We'll succeed unless we quit," Bush said shortly after arriving in this one-time war capital.

***


"We tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take awhile," the president said. He called the Iraq war a "great struggle" and said, "It's just going to take a long period of time for the ideology that is hopeful -- and that is an ideology of freedom -- to overcome an ideology of hate."

***

Bush said that "the world that we live in today is one where they want things to happen immediately and it's hard work in Iraq."

Bush said he assured Howard that "we will get the job done" and will stand with the embattled government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

"We'll succeed unless we quit," Bush said. "The Maliki government is going to make it unless the coalition leaves before they have a chance to make it."

***

Less than two weeks after US elections overturned Republican control of Congress and sent a clear message of disapproval about the war, Bush offered his own interpretation of the vote.

"The elections mean the American people want to know if we have a plan for success. I assured John that any repositioning of troops -- if that's what we choose to do -- will be done with close consultation with John and his government. But I also assured him that we're not leaving until this job is done -- until Iraq can govern, sustain and defend itself."

***

Although Republicans lost control of Congress, Bush directly challenged newly empowered Democrats who are demanding a fresh course in Iraq and fearful that free-trade agreements could cost US jobs.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-11/17/content_736232.htm

[HaggardsMethDealer]

20. Cant wait for this asshole to get tossed.

So sick of listening to this garbage.

[acmejack]

21. I still hate him.

The intensity has not lessened one iota. 794 days remain, my Friends.

[quiet.american]

22. Dear Lord, somebody slap the cuffs on this war criminal. n/t

[Waya]

23. What......

.the hell would he know about it?

[lostnotforgotten]

24. "We'll succeed unless we quit" = Hold On To Your Assess Boys

Your all going to die at the hands of Dubya!

[Red Zelda]

25. That right, Chimpwad

Vietnam waited a long time to become the peaceful success it is now -- a communist country free of U.S. bullshit. Now, it can sell cheap stuff to stupid U.S. consumers who are as clueless as their drunken leader.

[tabasco]

26. Lesson 1: There are cowards like Bush who will send others to die

but will never set foot on the battlefield themselves!

[The Count]

27. Besides the very tactful aspect(NOT), always learning the wrong lesson

Does W know of McNamara and others who acknowledged their mistakes in not leaving sooner? Now that he seems so preoccupied with history? And commas?

[kenny blankenship]

28. Did he really just say, *in Vietnam*, that we should have kept fighting & killing Vietnamese?

(so we must keep on fighting Iraq?)
I'm having trouble believing this.

[arewenotdemo]

36. Afraid so. Vietnam should never have let him set foot there.

[Monkeyman]

29. Hey gutless how about bring my fallen MIA brothers home

before you do trade with them

[Bigmack]

31. Dumbya is so wrong in so many ways...

... that I'm sputtering.

How can he say anything so ..... unfair... untrue.... clueless.... cruel...

Sputter...

Sputter...

[TexasLawyer]

33. "ideology of freedom..."

I thought we went to Iraq because of WMDs. There were none.

We never should have been there in the first place, and now it's time to leave.

[classysassy]

34. Quit

Dim son know about quiting,he went AWOL during the Viet Nam conflict when his ass would have been put in harms way,but alas we are in Iraq,where him or none of his rich supporter and just plain dumb allies,are safe from the bombs red glare,now he want to stay the course.Shame on you Mr Bush and all your supporters.

[anotherdrew]

37. once again contradicting condi - she said historical parallels were not terribly helpful

just yesterday...

odd