What Did They Learn from 'Nam

The U.S. occupation of Iraq staggers midway into its fifth bloody year. And as the casualty figures of those in country continue to escalate, the specter of the war in Viet Nam has been resurrected. The comparisons between the two conflicts are now being carefully noted, and indeed they are chilling and compelling.

As the debate goes on, many thoughtful Americans seem to believe that the United States government learned nothing from that experience.

But the architects of the worst Foreign policy mistake in the history of this Republic, the invasion of Iraq, learned a great many lessons from the war in Southeast Asia. They learned what they should do and not do the next time around.

Number One lesson learned from the war in Viet Nam is never fight an elective war with conscripted troops. This is perhaps the most single important lesson. Despite what George W. Bush and his propaganda ministers tell us, this is not the Second World War and he is not Winston Churchill. There are no Axis powers led by a visible and convenient Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini's. There has not been a flurry of countries declaring war on each other. As war clouds in gathered in Europe selective service was off and running and young men expected a greetings-from-the-president-pack-your-bags-your-ass-is-mine-telegram. The War Department took millions of men to war. There was little appeal and little protest. The war was popular and young men expected to do their duty.

And then came Viet Nam, and thousands of young men were drafted once again, but this time with a difference. As the war became a very unpopular war, ordinary citizens suddenly did what the elite men in government couldn't understand or condone. The ordinary citizen began to pay attention to what its elected officials were conducting. People began to do the unthinkable: they asked questions, and they watched the news. The military meat grinder was working over- time, and no one wanted to be the last man to die in vain.