What should the U.S. have done to win the Vietnam War, in your honest opinion?

[Futurist]

Makes sense; thank you.

[sailorsam]

Thailand successfully defended its neutrality during the Vietnam War by allowing several gigantic U.S. military installations to operate from neutral Thai territory in support of the anti-communist war effort in Indo-China. Communist expansion stalled (due to U.S. intervention) and the fad reached its limits after Cambodia fell. Thailand without U.S. intervention might or might not have been overrun by radical communists or Maoists. … Thailand was the only country in the region never colonized by Europeans and thus was not generally prejudiced toward Americans. The Thais protected the U.S. bases from foreign insurgents. … Aircraft carriers had their advantages, but land bases could deliver more firepower.

Globalization41.

good post! I had wondered about the Domino Theory & Thailand.
I suspect Burma also had a communist movement that was squelched.

not to drift topic, but during the cold war some countries in Latin America would hit the USA up for weapons and $ saying they needed to defeat domestic communists. having lost Cuba the USA often paid up. sadly they often ended up subsidizing dictators. I wonder if that's what happened in Thailand.

[Globalization41]

The Thais were a monarchy. The King was a really nice guy and pro-American. The King also had veto power over dictators. Burma was not as resistant to emerging dictators. … Gigantic American bases stimulated the Thai economy, but after the U.S. left, the Monarchy remained popular and did not need subsidizing.

Globalization41.

[LineDoggie]

Where to begin?

for one thing we let the North live normally except for mildly effective bombing raids

First thing we had 2 USMC, 1ROKMC, 1ARVNMC division and numerous ARVN Ranger bn's available to conduct amphibious raids on the north to tie down Enemy forces and keep them off balance. a NVA soldier cant be coming south if he's busy fighting to defend the North Vietnamese coastline. Hit them, occupy an beachhead for a period, kill as many NVA as possible, and then withdraw. Repeat as necessary.

Haiphong harbor should have been mined and blockaded in 65-66

Instead of bombing power stations, factories and bridges the Paddy dykes should have been hit hard. If you cant grow rice to eat you cant fight in South Vietnam. You strain the Chicom log chain

Destroy the VPAF on the ground, and crater the bases, same for AAA and SAM sites 24/7


DEMAND RVN government weed out corrupt officials and officers or no aid and complete pullout of FWF's

DEMAND RVN government give the population full rights, same for press

DEMAND RVN government promote officers by merit only

DEMAND ARVN units go through US & AUST/ROK training programs and buddy them with said nations ground units

Increase agricultural and medical aid programs for the South Vietnamese

[EKB]

Vietnam has been a trade partner of the United States since 1994. The way to “win” thirty years earlier, was let the Vietnamese manage their own affairs. And wait for them to make enquiries about investment and trade.

[Globalization41]

I would suggest balanced trade. … America posted its first trade deficit in 1971. Massive trade deficits followed in the '90s. … Trade deficits are multipliers for budget deficits.

Globalization41.

[LineDoggie]

I would suggest balanced trade. … America posted its first trade deficit in 1971. Massive trade deficits followed in the '90s. … Trade deficits are multipliers for budget deficits.

Globalization41.

yeah no, we weren't going to trade with North Vietnam in 1965, an ridiculous idea. And what did they have to offer? Rice?

[Globalization41]

Actually, I was responding to EKB's idea of trade instead of war. If there's nothing to trade, then don't trade. A boatload of rice for a boatload of apples would be ok. If the Viet rice was purchased without a balanced purchase from the U.S., then Uncle Sam loses revenue that would have been generated by American rice growers. … … The Viet War was un-strategic for America. … Nixon would have stopped the North's invasion had it not been for Watergate. However, he lost his (thin) political support, whereupon Congress pulled the plug, effective August 15, 1973, a year and a half before Saigon fell in 1975. Mass slaughter followed soon in Cambodia. Communism then stalled due to overextension and failure to facilitate wealth creation for the masses. (Socialism was too expensive without capitalism.)

Globalization41.