[renewiltord]

Nah, America was losing Vietnam. It couldn't be won the way it was fought. That country is no slouch. Within three decades they fought off three world superpowers. Veteran soldiers, local knowledge, sympathetic populace, terrain advantage.

None of America's aims could have been achieved there meaningfully.

Big guys lose to small guys all the time. Sometimes you've got to know how much it's worth risking. Britain was a world hegemon. Still lost to an upstart collection of colonies.

[pdonis]

> Veteran soldiers, local knowledge, sympathetic populace, terrain advantage.

And lots of aid from the USSR and China. Aid from two superpowers sure helps in fighting one superpower.

> None of America's aims could have been achieved there meaningfully.

It depends on what you think those aims were. The aim of preventing South Vietnam from being taken over by North Vietnam was achieved militarily; then the US Congress threw it away.

> Big guys lose to small guys all the time.

Big guys lose to small guys that are being helped out behind the scenes by other big guys all the time, yes. If the small guys have no help from other big guys, then no, the small guys pretty much just lose.