Letters: Dec. 18, 2006

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President George W. Bush's visit to Vietnam was another missed opportunity to make amends for his failed policies [Nov. 27]. Instead of acknowledging the peaceful nature of his visit to a former enemy nation and declaring that, despite the present situation in Iraq, he looks forward to the day when a future American President can visit Baghdad and safely travel by motorcade through the capital, he sheepishly avoided the comparisons of Iraq with Vietnam. Americans know Iraq is a mess, and maybe the President knows it too. But before it can be cleaned up, we need a President who can engage the world and pony up to reality.

CHRISTOPHER E. BERG

New York City

Bush seemed to suggest that the lesson of the Vietnam War was that we should have stayed the course. But the real lesson of the Vietnam War was that we should never have intervened. The U.S. war against that poor country left millions of innocent Vietnamese civilians dead and millions more wounded. The other lesson we failed to learn was how easily the U.S. government can lie and lead us into war. In Vietnam it was the big lie about a U.S. warship's being attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin. In Iraq it was the even bigger lie about weapons of mass destruction.

MASSIMO PODRECCA

New York City

While in Hanoi, President Bush said, "We tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take a while." I would like to remind everyone that it was the Administration that said invading Iraq and securing the country were going to be a walk in the park, an affair of a few months at most.

PHILIP DE LOURAILLE

Los Gatos, Calif.

President Bush demonstrated that he has learned little if anything from history when he said that the main lesson of Vietnam is, "We'll succeed unless we quit." The Vietnam War was lost after 58,000 American troops and millions of Vietnamese civilians died over 14 years. More bombs were dropped on that tiny country than were used by all sides in all of World War II. That's giving up? The lessons of Vietnam are many, but chief among them are that invading forces cannot subdue a native population fighting a guerrilla war; that Americans will not support endless costly wars of choice; and that humility, caution and planning are essential in military operations.

DANIEL BREZENOFF

Long Beach, Calif.

Rebuilding the House

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi failed in her campaign to elect her ally John Murtha as House majority leader [Nov. 27]. But why should anyone have been surprised by Pelosi's decision to support the populist Murtha? The Democrats' gain in the election was primarily driven by dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, not support for left-wingers. I'm not sure, however, that either party deserved to win. The constant bickering by both parties is appalling and discouraging.

GLEN WILSON

Westerville, Ohio

Less than two weeks on the job, and already Pelosi is screwing up. I have to admit I am loving it. After years of hearing Republicans called everything from cowboys to Nazis, it's a blast watching the Dems fall over one another to make fools of themselves.

MICHAEL CHIMENTI

New York City

Heading South?