How America Won the Vietnam War, By Losing

Nothing more symbolizes the decline of American leadership into a succession of failed, power mad, GOP incompetents than a recent comment by Al Haig at a conference to reassess the Vietnam War: "Former Nixon adviser Alexander Haig said Saturday military leaders in Iraq are repeating a mistake made in Vietnam by not applying the full force of the military to win the war. "

Haig's comment came up in a search BuzzFlash did on "Vietnam" using Yahoo News.

It was ironic to note many of the other stories that appeared with "Vietnam" as the keyword. Consider the one about U.S. Fortune 500 companies that were lobbying to get Vietnam in the World Trade Organization, the ultimate symbol of entry into the kingdom of multinational corporate globalization.

The article notes that in addition to potential entry into the WTO, "Bilateral U.S.-Vietnam trade has boomed since the historic trade agreement between the two countries was passed in 2001. Last year, two-way trade topped US $7.5 billion."

In fact, Vietnam is tripping all over itself to offer sweat shop labor to leading U.S. manufacturers who might otherwise open factories in China, Vietnam's longtime adversary. It's the kind of situation that makes the Republican outsourcing-low-wage-profiteers cream in their pants. (Remember how Bush stood in India recently and extolled the "benefits" of outsourcing!)

Some other recent news articles on Vietnam worthy of note to the barons of capitalism that we came across included: "Intel announces 300-million-dollar chip factory for Vietnam"; "Petrovietnam has awarded McDermott International Inc a $60 million contract to install a gas pipeline, Vietnam's second, for completion in early 2007"; "Vietnam has become a promising destination for foreign investors, including those from South Korea."; and "Three Japanese companies expect to receive licences to set up wholly foreign invested enterprises providing sea transport services for Vietnam's domestic market."

And even the ultimate sign of capitalist decadence, the cruise ship industry is making a dramatic return to Vietnam.

Vietnam still has a bit of a ways to go in the human rights department; but heck, right now the Busheviks are rowing the United States rapidly backwards in that area.

In fact, it is the French imported faith of Catholicism that is experiencing a rebirth in Vietnam. "Catholic worship is flourishing in Vietnam, a sign that the Communist Party's repression of religion is easing. As Vietnam's leaders push for faster economic growth, they are finding that a swifter flow of money requires and creates more openness and less political control over people's private matters."

Millions of lives were lost in the Vietnam War, including more than 50,000 dead American soldiers and two million killed because of the political repercussions resulting from Henry Kissinger's illegal bombing of Cambodia. The Vietnam War was an ill-conceived bungling disaster built upon a quicksand of lies and mistaken premises. Just as is its ill-begotten offspring: the Iraq War.

As BuzzFlash travels around the nation, in airports, in coffee shops, in truck stops, we wonder how many men we see would not be enjoying their families and lives if the foolhardy, dangerous plans of people like Al Haig had been allowed to be carried out. Haig represents the core of the sentiment remaining on Capitol Hill for supporting the ill-fated, dishonest Iraq War: We must win to show that we can win, even if we can only really win by losing.

So many red state Bush voters who served in Vietnam in the early '70s, with grandchildren now, don't realize that they are alive because people like Haig were prevented from carrying out an ill-conceived warlord game plan that would have cost even more lives.

For the Al Haigs, Donald Rumsfelds, Dick Cheneys and George W. Bushes of the world, you can't be "perceived" as losing, even if continuing a mistaken war means the death and wounding of thousands of more Americans and Iraqis, just so they can show that they are tough guys. The current relationship with Vietnam is irrefutable evidence that there are less costly ways in blood and money to achieve America's international goals.

Rumsfeld and Cheney presided over the chaotic U.S. evacuation from Vietnam. Their bruised egos have never gotten over it. So, now we fight just for the sake of letting them (along with the Vietnam draft evading Bush) try and prove their manhood -- and grab some oil fields, Halliburton profits, and military bases while they are at it.

It's over boys! Vietnam is now a full-fledged member of the globalized world of capitalism. The only thing that the GOP corporate supporters have to worry about with Vietnam is how low they can get those slave wages to go.

America won the Vietnam War by losing it. The dominoes never fell, unless you count them falling toward Wall Street.

It was a stupid war fought by the Al Haigs of the world whose only concern was in beating the other side to a pulp. These Dr. Strangeloves have no sustainable military goals but destruction -- neither in Vietnam nor in Iraq.

And now, Haig is still telling us his dreams of how we could have beaten Vietnam militarily, while some shoe company is manufacturing running shoes for a buck in Hanoi City that they will sell in the U.S. for $55.00.

Al, we're amazed that Bush hasn't appointed you to oversee his "little" war in Iraq. You're just the guy to ensure that it continues to be a disaster -- and that makes you Bush's kind of guy.

After all, Karl Rove was quoted the other day as saying that the administration will not pull American troops out of Iraq until "victory" is won.

Well, Karl, we won in Vietnam by pulling the troops out.

Just ask the American Chamber of Commerce.

BuzzFlash Afternote: Of course, when Karl Rove talked about not bringing the troops home until after "victory" is won, he was speaking to a political gathering. It is likely that the real meaning of "victory" to him was the 2006 mid-term elections. He couldn't give a hoot about the people of Iraq or our soldiers. After all, Rove, Cheney and Bush all ran away from serving in Vietnam, with yellow streaks painted down their backs.

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