Quote Originally Posted by UCrawford View Post
I think you're right on that score, Tom. Hadn't even considered the Lebanese situation in relation to the Iraqis...I wonder if it will turn out the same way for the Iraqis. But as for our involvement, it just seems to me (a non-Vietnam vet as well) that the parallels between our actions now in Iraq and our actions under LBJ in Vietnam are frighteningly close. And it also seems to me that this is lost on our administration. I think a comparison of Vietnam and Iraq is very valid, but I think Bush missed the key points that the comparison should focus on. I wrote a blog on it today as well because Bush's comments really bothered me.
I would say that the response of the military as an institution (at least in the early to mid stages - they have to their credit started taking corrective action in many areas much sooner than they did during Vietnam) has more in common with Vietnam (situational denial, misreading of the situation on the ground, and so on), but NOT so much the military or political situation itself. For that, Tom is quite correct in bringing Lebanon into the comparison discussion. That is a better political and social parallel.