Barbara Frey
International Studies Society Lecture I
Professor R. Sindelar
September 5, 2007
Is Iraq the New Vietnam?
Insights and Comparisons of Iraq and Vietnam Wars
Speaker: Dr. Bob Buzzanco, professor and Chair of History University of Houston
In his fervent speech, Dr. Buzzanco proffered both comparisons and contrasts between the two wars and maintain that indeed, the war in Iraq is this generation's Vietnam, an unnecessary war and a failure on many fronts. Injecting opinion with photographs and referencing notable events, Dr. Buzzanco avered that like Vietnam, "the U.S. is not going to leave Iraq successfully."
Dr. Buzzanco began with a contrast: in the 1960s, America's ruling class (corporate, monetary, and political leaders) understood the damage to America's reputation caused by the war in Vietnam, whereas today Bush, Chaney, and their cohorts don't see the incalculable damage to the U.S. and the world. He also pointed out that in the Vietnam era, news writers, photographers and publishers had ample access to witness the events unfolding and present them to the American audience, but that the recording of the Iraqi conflict is "media blocked" by the U.S. military. As a case in point, he presents a photograph of the My Lai massacre, but could not show a photograph of the caskets at Dover AFB or of Iraqi refugees because they have all been removed from public access.
To support his point of view, Dr. Buzzanco cited comparable incidents such as the devastation of Iraqi and Vietnamese cities and villages; American military and political support for one side of the local spectrum regardless of how barbaric it is in order to obstruct the opposition party; and atrocities like Abu Ghraib and the Vietnam napalm bombings.
In addition, Dr. Buzzanco spoke of the similarities in damage done to American credibility and image both internally and abroad due to both wars. According to the historian, Vietnam eroded the desire for outside nations to be like the U.S. Later our nation's image was somewhat restored through sympathy when 9/11 occurred, but has faltered again and even worse so because of our involvement in the Iraq war. He then compared the economic fallout that the wars have brought upon the U.S. because of massive military spending during the wars and the lowering of the American standard of living because of the debts incurred by Vietnam and again, he anticipates, post-Iraq.
With an impassioned presentation, Dr. Buzzanco expressed his opinion of the erroneous nature of the Iraq war and the current administration's failings regarding the war and makes a valid argument that Iraq is the new Vietnam.