Who won the Vietnam war?

philofra · **Joined:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:43 pm **Posts:** 1103

I just discovered a site called SkyscraperPage Forum: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/ and discovered that Hanoi is building one of the tallest buildings in the world: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=163483

This made me wonder what that war was about. The Americans seemed to have lost it. But did they?

It looks like America won the war for the long run. Look who Vietnam is beginning to resemble, the capitalist West, where America has made many investments.

Typist · **Joined:** Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:12 am **Posts:** 3330

I'd say America clearly lost, in any normal use of the word. But capitalism does seem to be winning across the world.

Well, until recently. The pendulum forever swings...

Wootah · **Joined:** Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:43 am **Posts:** 2453

America lost but freedom won. Domino effect was thwarted and countless harm across Asia ie: look at North Korea was averted.

As noted by typist " The pendulum forever swings..." but I would say the war rages on eternally.

Aetixintro · **Joined:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:44 pm **Posts:** 1387

Wootah wrote:

America lost but freedom won. Domino effect was thwarted and countless harm across Asia ie: look at North Korea was averted.

I very much agree with this.

Arising_uk · **Joined:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:31 am **Posts:** 10552

Who cares now-a-days?

Impenitent · **Joined:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:04 pm **Posts:** 938

the boat people

-Imp

Arising_uk · **Joined:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:31 am **Posts:** 10552

They still about?

I suppose there's those Yank troops who may still be in there?

chaz wyman · **Joined:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:31 pm **Posts:** 10592

philofra wrote:

I just discovered a site called SkyscraperPage Forum: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/ and discovered that Hanoi is building one of the tallest buildings in the world: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=163483

This made me wonder what that war was about. The Americans seemed to have lost it. But did they?

If the vietnamese decide to adopt capitalist or mixed economy does not mean the the US won the war. When Vietnamese, Chinese and other SE Asian business are using the US like a whore then you will know that not only did Vietnam win but they will also soon seek their economic revenge for the death, slaughter and destruction wrought upon them the the sick ideological arrogance of the US.

It looks like America won the war for the long run. Look who Vietnam is beginning to resemble, the capitalist West, where America has made many investments.

The difference is that Cambodia and Vietnam are growing whilst the US is in clear and obvious decline.

chaz wyman · **Joined:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:31 pm **Posts:** 10592

Arising_uk wrote:

They still about?

I suppose there's those Yank troops who may still be in there?

What the dead ones?

chaz wyman · **Joined:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:31 pm **Posts:** 10592

philofra wrote:

I just discovered a site called SkyscraperPage Forum: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/ and discovered that Hanoi is building one of the tallest buildings in the world: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=163483

This made me wonder what that war was about. The Americans seemed to have lost it. But did they?

It looks like America won the war for the long run. Look who Vietnam is beginning to resemble, the capitalist West, where America has made many investments.

The vietnamese have been making their own choices. Proof positive that you cannot impose democracy at the point of a gun. See Afghanistan and Iraq !!
Vietnam won that war and the US really lost, lost morally, militarily and popularly.
Laos is still suffering from unexploded ordinance.
Let's hope they don't forget.

ala1993 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:20 pm **Posts:** 580

It's interesting that we speak about war using the language of competitive sport. I think that we need to find other ways to talk about it (or, if those ways exist - and they probably do - we need to use them instead). Either this or we include 'war' as simply a type of sport.

When a war is 'won' it is usually because one side cannot fight anymore; either this or any attempt to continue fighting would be fruitless. However, thousands - perhaps tens of thousands, perhaps millions - will have lost their lives, cities will have been devastated, families will have been destroyed, economies will have been drained. How can either side be said to have 'won' if we take this into account? Lastly, when a war 'ends' its repercussions are felt for years and often decades afterwards.

To apply this to Vietnam, I put it to you that America neither won nor lost the war as any outcome would be too complex and would present too many future challenges to be simplified into such terms.

Arising_uk · **Joined:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:31 am **Posts:** 10552

chaz wyman wrote:

What the dead ones?

No, the POWs that the Yanks refused to pay for, unlike the French.

chaz wyman · **Joined:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:31 pm **Posts:** 10592

ala1993 wrote:

It's interesting that we speak about war using the language of competitive sport. I think that we need to find other ways to talk about it (or, if those ways exist - and they probably do - we need to use them instead). Either this or we include 'war' as simply a type of sport.

When a war is 'won' it is usually because one side cannot fight anymore; either this or any attempt to continue fighting would be fruitless. However, thousands - perhaps tens of thousands, perhaps millions - will have lost their lives, cities will have been devastated, families will have been destroyed, economies will have been drained. How can either side be said to have 'won' if we take this into account? Lastly, when a war 'ends' its repercussions are felt for years and often decades afterwards.

To apply this to Vietnam, I put it to you that America neither won nor lost the war as any outcome would be too complex and would present too many future challenges to be simplified into such terms.

You are just playing games. The US lost the war because it ran out having failed to achieve its goals.
It is just about to lose in Iraq and Afghanistan having failed to find Bin Laden.
WW2 was won because the German and Japanese states were terminated and re-formed under the control of the Allies, and they were not able to form or fund an army.

As for absolutes. Yes, all wars lead to misery and the net gain is negative whomsoever wins or loses.

chaz wyman · **Joined:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:31 pm **Posts:** 10592

Bryanf wrote:

I think America may not be the winner but they aren't loser either in the war.

Vietnam won it. The US lost it. There is nothing more to say.
The US did not achieve its goals; ergo they lost.

spike · **Joined:** Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:29 pm **Posts:** 875

Quote:

Vietnam won it. The US lost it. There is nothing more to say.
The US did not achieve its goals; ergo they lost.

Nevertheless, Vietnam is now in the American world sphere. Vietnam is now looking more like America than America is looking like Vietnam. I would call that is a de facto victory for America and its foreign policy of opening up and liberalizing of the world.

Vietnam is now one less enemy America has.

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