Korea was never the enemy, it was international communism, with both China and Russia supporting Norks.
The Norks, on their own in the early 50s, couldn't have beaten a kindergarten class.
We were so superior to both China and Russia at that time, but the timing was just 5-6 years removed from WWII, and the communist/demonRATS had no will to defeat the communists from the other side of the world.
The country was war weary and got no push from the pubbies who were doing their usual hiding in the tall grass routine.
“We were so superior to both China and Russia at that time, ...
The country was war weary and got no push from the pubbies.”
The GOP was the anti-war party back then. Both parties were war weary, and the American people had enough of fighting wars for others.
Almost immediately after WW2, the US demobilized significantly its military because of the weariness, believing that the threat of the atom bomb (”the gun behind the door”) was enough to secure our safety and not be attacked again. Also, we knew very little about what was going on inside of Russia (i.e. how weak and battered they really were) and hence began our intelligence agencies.
China was a mess, and the Kuomintang was described as undisciplined and corrupt, out of touch with the average person, and not really interested in fighting the Japanese who were occupying part of their country (the part where the Kuomintang was not really strong) during WW2. The Soviets taught Mao and team how to brutally take advantage. The US was looking to get out of China once the Japanese were ousted, never seeing them as a serious threat like they did Russia.
I am not surprised that things ended up like they did. Also, politicians seemed back then to be more connected to their voters, unlike today, where they can continue to say one thing and do another.
The Chinese Nationalists were willing to fight their communist cousins in Korea and might have turned the tide. Why they were turned down is anyone's guess.