How is it then that some rice-growing villagers (Vietnam), third world peasants (Afghanistan) and Islamic tribalists (Iraq) kept so many leading world powers (France, USA, UK & USSR) so busy for so many years with rudimenatry weapons like flintlocks, the AK-47 and homemade IEDs?
Because the big powers parked their nukes and decided to fight a 21st century war as if it was the 18th. Turn Terhan, Pak, and Afgan, into parking lots... or just take out Mecca during the Haj - no warning - if anyone actually wants to win this religious war.
We were winning in Nam. Only the pc antiwar types broke the will to fight. Even Giap was thankful for the peaceniks - the better red than dead crowd - because he was out of most everything including cannon fodder.