We would all have to agree that the war in Vietnam was a waste of human life and treasury, caused untold grief and was to no avail at all. Good people on both sides died. Lots of them. And the outcome? The same as if it had never happened. That is clearly obvious to everyone. The communist hordes did not take over SE Asia, all that happened was that Vietnam became Vietnamese. It didn't prevent Cambodia or Laos from becoming slaughterhouses. Nothing was accomplished at all. Period.

Of course, you have to figure on what would have happened in SE Asia if we had decided to stay out entirely, and let the Soviets pretty much take over the place with no trouble whatsoever. Think the neighboring countries would have been much more problem?

The U.S. spent about 9 - 10 percent of its GDP on military spending during Vietnam. The Soviets spent a lot more. Some experts have said that part of the reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union was the expense of the proxy wars it had to wage, especially Vietnam.

That the fall of Vietnam was without consequences is one of the most ghastly lies the Left tells today. Please take it up with any of the many former refugees who live where I do.

We could extend this. Imagine what would have happened if we had decided, per the demands of the Left, to stay completely out of not only Southeast Asia, but Central America, Afghanistan, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and everywhere that the Soviets were extending their influence at the height of the Cold War.

Add to that the leftist demands throughout the latter part of the Cold War to reduce U.S. defense spending, disarm (whether or not the Soviets reciprocated), eliminate work on missile defense systems, and pull our missiles out of Europe and elsewhere.

In every situation during that period where the U.S. confronted the Soviets, either militarily, economically, or in any fashion whatsoever, the Left insisted that the U.S. should meet the Soviet demands, or adopt Soviet positions. You are welcome to point out any exceptions.

Nothing was accomplished? I believe confrontation in all these areas--not always military--resulted in the failure of the Soviets to extend themselves across the planet, and eventually failure of the Soviet Union itself.

So, what happened in Vietnam, Bowser?