Iraq Is Not Vietnam, Part II

by Jim Cox
by Jim Cox

Last year I published a 15-item list of comparisons between the US experience in Vietnam, 1965–1966 and that of the current war in Iraq, 2003–2004. With another year behind us, here is Part II of that comparison for Iraq, 2003–2005 and Vietnam, 1965–1967:

`	Item	Iraq 2003–2005	Vietnam 1965–1967
16	Poisonous weapon used?	depleted uranium	agent orange
17	Administration’s response to soldier complaints of being poisoned by US weapons?	denial	denial
18	US troop deaths?	2,178	16,159
19	Troops in country during 3^rd year?	160,000	500,000
20	US troop deaths per troops in country?	136 per 10,000	300 per 10,000
21	Number of President’s children of military age?	2	2
22	Number of President’s children serving in military?	0	0
23	Strange concept of liberation applied?	We had to destroy it to save it	We had to destroy it to save it
24	Who have war supporters blamed for lack of quick victory?	news media, war protestors	news media, war protestors
25	Who have war supporters not blamed for lack of quick victory?	administration war planners	administration war planners
26	Language, history, and customs unknown to American soldiers on the ground?	yes	yes
27	Election held to choose head of state of country?	December 15, 2005	October 21, 1967
28	Monthly cost to US for operations in country (in 2004 dollars)	$5.6 billion	$5.1 billion
29	Member of US Congress calls for withdrawal?	John Murtha D-PA	Eugene McCarthy D-MN
30	Term increasingly applied to US involvement?	quagmire	quagmire

Thus, we can all still take comfort securely in our knowledge that Iraq is not Vietnam; Vietnam is spelled with a "V" and is in Southeast Asia, Iraq is spelled with an "I" and is in Southwest Asia.

January 31, 2006

Jim Cox is an Associate Professor of Economics and Political Science at the Lawrenceville Campus of Georgia Perimeter College and the author of The Concise Guide to Economics and Minimum Wage, Maximum Damage.

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