[conservatism_IS_compassion]

During the earlier years, with General William C. Westmoreland in command, the American approach was basically to take over the war from the South Vietnamese and try to win it militarily by conducting a war of attrition. The theory was that killing as many of the enemy as possible would eventually cause him to lose heart and cease aggression against the South. This earlier period was also characterized by recurring requests for more American troops to be dispatched to Vietnam, resulting in a peak commitment there of some 543,400.

Tragic blunder. What did he think was the end game??

That policy could succeed--only by threatening Hanoi. But LBJ was never going to do that, so it was a meatgrinder strategy in which the enemy had time to find a winning (political) strategy.

[SJackson]

For the thread.

PERSECUTION OF MONTAGNARD CHRISTIANS IN VIETNAM

Christmas crackdown in Vietnam (Communists persecute Christians, again)

3 executions in Vietnam alleged as part of government crackdown (on Christians)

VIETNAM UNREST THREATENS TO RAISE OBJECTIONS (persecution of Christians)

[elbucko]

Tragic blunder. What did he think was the end game??

There wasn't an end game. This war did not have , at the beginning, a "Noble Purpose". LBJ was only interested in preventing Saigon from falling to the communists before he could win the '68 election, and a second term. That's it! There is no other geopolitical strategy to apply to the start of this war.

Lyndon didn't care about Vietnam, he didn't care about US servicemen. H*ll, he thought they "belonged" to him. Lyndon was a "Kingfish", in the Southern political sense. He owned the sheriff, the courthouse and the jails. You don't think, as President, LBJ didn't think he owned the Army too?

Vietnam is not complex at the beginning. It is about political power in the USA, and not a World struggle.

[Valin]

I've said for years that we fought that war in the wrong country, we should have gone north.