Ed Rasimus wrote:

:No "dolchstoss" involved here. There was certainly no knife in the
:back in '64-'68. We had the military power to impose our will if we
:had the political will to do so.

The real problem was a new military strategy called 'gradualism',
which was intended to show that we were willing to stay in the fight
as long as required.

It amounted to only putting in enough troops and force to make a
little headway and then giving the other guy time to adjust before we
did anything more.

Along about 1964 we should have sunk everything in Haiphong Harbor,
leveled Hanoi and put a million men in the country marching north.

--
"Most people don't realize it, but ninety percent of morality is based
on comfort. Incinerate hundreds of people from thirty thousand feet
up and you'll sleep like a baby afterward. Kill one person with a
bayonet and your dreams will never be sweet again."
-- John Rain, "Rain Storm"