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modzutoday at 2:11 AM2 repliesview on HN

christ, sounds like mcnamara. the americans killed north vietnamese faster than they killed americans, so how come they lost?


Replies

defrosttoday at 2:21 AM

Because the North Vietnamese were not bombing and destroying American home soil schools, apartment blocks, utilities, etc. on a daily basis.

Lacking any real home soil peer citizen engagement the US saw the Vietnam War as a costly pointless loss of money, resources, and life on the far side of the planet.

The Ukrainians are somewhat more engaged.

pjc50today at 10:38 AM

The difference is, as the other comment points out, the Americans could have (and eventually did) leave South Vietnam any time they wanted with no negative consequences. It was a pure war of choice.

Everyone on the Ukranian side knows that their options are: victory, death, a deeply miserable time in a POW camp, or abandoning their life and becoming a refugee. Regardless of what your rank or social status is.