Mission Not Accomplished

Mission Not Accomplished

The Gulf War and the Vietnam war rank among the costliest blunders in American history in terms of death and economic losses. However, there exist significant differences between the two wars, which demonstrate that the two wars must not be categorized together. While most scholars have emphasized the differences over the similarities between the two wars, this is a biased representation of the truth. An objective analysis of the two wars indicates as many similarities as differences. If the United States is to avoid similar blunders in the future, the parallels and differences between the Gulf War and the Vietnam operation must be drawn in an objective, unbiased manner. The two wars have affirmed the historical stance that it is challenging to comprehend the true meaning of events unless from the perspective of decades of subsequent history. From our current standpoint in the present, we are in a better position to understand the scope and effects of the American military involvement in the gulf war and Vietnam. In the same breath, this paper discusses the similarities and differences between the Gulf war and the American war.

The policy processes leading up to the two wars were much different. Despite the immense public backing of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, historical records indicate a lack of a comprehensive policy process. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the policy-makers never hesitated to determine whether the invasion of Iraq was a good idea or explored other viable options. For this reason, the national bureaucracy had no part in debating the decision to invade Iraq. In the executive discussions preceding the war, all the relevant expertise within and outside the US government were shunned. The total absence of national policy decision making regarding the invasion of Iraq is the most remarkable aspect of the war. On the other hand, the Vietnam war followed an extensive policy-making process. Comprehensive policy decision making formed the basic framework upon which the decision making was anchored. During the Vietnam war, the national bureaucracy was fully engaged, and all the possible alternatives were explored. As such, the mistakes in the Vietnam war cannot be attributed to the shortcomings in policy-making.

A glaring resemblance between the two wars is the opposition to American interests or ideals. In Vietnam, thousands of thousands of Vietnamese subscribed to the Communist agenda, at the time contrasted US capitalism. For this reason, the US considered communist Vietnam as a threat to its capitalist policy in Asia. According to the US policy-makers, the Vietnam communist could act as a stepping stone communism in Asia, spreading the communist agenda across different countries. Similarly, the dictatorship militant Islamic force in Iraq were hostile to American interests. The tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein posed a significant threat to American allies in the region, even attacking Kuwait, a strategic global oil producer.

The Vietnam invasion is also similar to the Gulf war in terms of the withdrawal of the troops. As soon as the public opinion and the collective media opinion turned against American participation in the conflicts, American troops were withdrawn. Both wars demonstrate that American involvement in conflicts is subject to public opinion when the public opinion diminishes, America tends to withdraw its troops. In both cases, the aftermath of the US military action in the two countries contradicted the earlier expectations. For instance, no one could have predicted that Vietnam could have grown into a booming economy after the humiliating withdrawal of US troops. In modern times, Vietnam boasts of five-star hotels and expensive condos, golf courses, and restaurants, which make it an ideal spot for millionaire vacationers and tourists. Despite the communist control of Vietnam’s political system, economic liberalization is evident (Schubert 45). Besides, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese citizens sympathetic to the American course were either imprisoned or executed after US withdrawal. Likewise, the US withdrew its troops from Iraq before the political system was ready to assume full responsibility for the nation’s reform and recovery. As a result, Iraq became a bedrock for militant Islamic forces such as ISIS that are hostile to America.

In conclusion, both wars had several differences and similarities that make them distinct from other wars. As history has taught us, wars have no victors. The same applies to the Vietnam War and the Iraqi invasion. Though, the casualties of the Vietnam war dwarfs that of the Iraqi invasion. The bottom line is that both conflicts resulted in a substantial loss in American lives and wasted the taxpayer’s finances. The subsequent outcomes of these wars have been mixed, indicating that the US won neither of them. In Vietnam, the US forces were humiliated into withdrawal before the whole world, but the capitalist ideology has survived to date. In Iraq, the US left as victors, but the region plunged back into chaos and violence following their exit.

Works Cited

Schubert, Frank N. The Whirlwind War: The United States Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Department of the Army, 1995.