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Article 6969 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: sdr57@cas.org ()
Subject: Viet Nam (was Re: 21st Century Soldier)
Message-ID: <1992Sep18.122109.26794@cas.org>
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Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
References: <11SEP199211572401@dstl86.gsfc.nasa.gov> <FeaZqB5w164w@underg.UUCP> <1992Sep17.012641.15654@highlite.uucp>
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1992 12:21:09 GMT
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In article <1992Sep17.012641.15654@highlite.uucp> mike@highlite.uucp (Mike Wiik) writes:
>
>I'm not a veteran... and...
>I'll probably get flamed for this, but I do think the VC and NVA deserve
>more respect.

I think that both the VC and the NVA were respected in the military sense,
for their real capabilities. However, the VC were effectively destroyed
by the US and its allies in the famous Tet offensive (this is not my opinion
alone - it has been stated publicly by the commanders of the then North
Vietnamese army as the explanation for why they had to send the NVA down
after the US had pulled out).

>              "Taking out" out North Vietnam would have taken either nukes
>or a large-scale invasion resulting in much higher US casualties. And
>remember: the war was a resurrection in South Vietnam, not North vs South
			 ^^^^^^^^^^^^
(is this millenialism? Sorry - but someone was going to say it)

>(as in Korea). It's difficult to use nukes against guerillas...
>
As noted above, after Tet, it wasn't really a guerilla war any longer.
(Both sides say that Tet was a military defeat but a political victory
for the communists).

Shouldn't we move postings on this subject (Viet Nam) to alt.war?
It isn't SF, as far as I can see, unless we're going to move
into an alternate history mode and try to decide whether a fast
invasion would have produced more or fewer casualties than a protracted
low-intensity conflict.

******************************************************************************
Renegade academician. They're a dangerous breed when they go feral,
academics are...a chemist, too.
		    -(James P. Blaylock in "Lord Kelvin's Machine")

My organization hasn't agreed with any of my opinions so far, and
I doubt they'll start now.

Stanley "Ya nee speon" Roberts



