Menning, I agree that just six years after WWII, the American public would not have tolerated a more bloody and protracted war. But political leaders should not get the nation involved in conflicts it knows the nation does not support. If the need to enter conflict is so vital to national interests that leaders believe the nation must get involved, then it is the responsibility of those leaders to explain clearly to the American people: why war is necessary, the goal, and how the country will achieve that goal. In short, political leaders must mobilize the nation, lead, and pursue policies and strategies that will result in victory. When there are setbacks, leaders must adjust and regain momentum while maintaining national will until victory is achieved.

I like your points about Vietnam being a reaction to a number of things, many of which were instances of U.S. weakness.

I don’t see how losing in Iraq…failing to achieve something close to our objectives or whatever…will in the end be in our best interests. Playing enemies off against each other, prolonging strife and suffering of people in the region with the eventual possibility/expectation of having to invade again would not help America. The best outcome is a stable, secure, and peaceful Iraq, with some form of representative government allied with the United States. Successfully killing, capturing, and dismantling hostile terrorist and insurgent groups would be part of this outcome, as well as seriously weakening regional actors hostile to U.S. interests. Keeping our enemies divided and siphoning their energy will never result in decisive victory, which is what the U.S. should strive for.

But realistically speaking, the U.S. probably just didn’t have the will to win in Korea and Vietnam…obviously. I think this is bad…but not the end of the U.S., just like Iraq won’t be. However, the U.S. will be weakened by defeat. Who knows what would happen with other state and non-state actors in the event of a U.S. defeat, but whatever happens probably won’t strengthen the U.S. position in the world.