Was the Vietnam War really necessary??

[Jesse]

Hello fellow Time Lords,
I am interested in hearing your opinions and thoughts on the Vietnam War. In that era, rubber was a key figure in the industry business. Plus Communism was spreading throughout SouthEast Asia. When the United States decided to intervene, we issued a draft. Millions lost their lives. Was it worth it?

Do you feel the Vietnam War was absolutely necessary? If so, please give us a paragraph explination why you think it was. If not, please give us a paragraph explination why you do not think it was necessary. We are a guild about history and this is a good historical subject. Thank you for your time!

Your fellow Time Lord,
Jesse

[omnipotent_elf]

I wish i could right a paragraph but i cant. NO war is worth it, except to cull the increasing numbers of population.......

[DurinLongBeard]

No one could ever truly say whether or not war is necessary. War is fought for ones interests. But when you fight in a war, you also take many risks, and you gamble with the lives of men, and also with billions of dollars. The question has to be answered as to whether or not our goals for fighting communism in Vietnam were worth the price we had to pay to achieve them… One thing for sure is that America cannot fight a war to triumph over evil, to oust an opressive government, such as communism( or a evil dictator). When the goals of a war are so vague as to overcome the spread of communism in a particular area, then a clear end to the hostility can never be reached, because who is to say that just because a certain leader is gone, that evil will just disappear in that country.
That's what I think. Thoughts and feelings?:)

[Jesse]

I can't agree with you more DurinLongBeard. Well thought out answers! Thanks for replying!

[The_Swordmaster]

When I was younger I would of agreed with all of you but now I relised war is nessisary to a point. Veitnam i think was a perfect example ofn getting in for a good cause then losing the war with bad military planning.

I felt America was right in there choice of taking action in Veitnam. America I felt had the right to stop communism when it was ever expanding. Don't forget this was during the Cold War when everyone was scared that at any moment the USSR could launch nuclear bomb on America. Veitnam was America chance to stop another potential USSR. If America never got involved in Veitnam who knows what almost all of Asia vs. America could of turned to be. America would of been out numbered so Communism would then have the upper hand and I would rather not to think what the world would be like now if an actuall Communism invasion would of taken place. All I know for sure is that we would not be on TTF right now.

[DurinLongBeard]

Of course we had the right to help the South Vietnamese people but that is not relevant. You make it sound like we won the war with the statement
If America never got involved in Veitnam who knows what almost all of Asia vs. America could of turned to be. America would of been out numbered so Communism would then have the upper hand and I would rather not to think what the world would be like now if an actuall Communism invasion would of taken place

The cause of the war was just and correct, although it was wrong to send US troops. Let me explain my reasoning. The only possible chance for victory during this particular war was for the united states government to allow the military to do whatever it took to win, this they did not. The numbers of soldiers were not sufficient to allow victory. Therefore it was wrong to put our soldiers in that position of danger. Futhermore, we were playing defense along with the policy of containment. I think if we were to wage war we should have invaded to a greater extent. Once again though, that would require more troops. The UN rivaled the Warsaw Pact so america would not be completly outnumbered. That does not matter though because it(an invasion or attack on us or allies) did not happen even though Vietnam fell. In conclusion, i too believe war was a good cause but lost with poor military planning, although i do not think it was necessacary because of the lack of commitment.

Hope i explained good