How We Lost the Vietnam War

Rating:
Summary: A VALUABLE HISTORY LESSON AND AN INTRESTING PERSPECTIVE.
Review: I assumed this would be another book bashing of our Vietnam experience.

Instead this was an interesting perspective from a major player in this historic endeavor.

It provides a timeless truth leaders and foreign policy makers seem to ignore but must learn if we are to enjoy successful foreign policy.

LESSON:

"Applying Occidental solutions to Oriental problems is a recipe for failure!"

When Ky said "WE lost" he is not refering to the American military but to the American and South Vietnameese Policies and approach to the conflict.

Nguyen Cao Ky professes to have uncompromising values and being above the corruption that infected the politics and policies of the South East Asian war. His definition of corruption may be very different from that of a westerner.

Regardless if it is in Vietnam, Somolia, Haiti, Iraq, Bosnia or now in Kosovo, the American politicians and military leaders are destined to fail if they persist in not learing that "You cannot project your values, beliefs and customs on an alien culture and expect success".

RVN Class of "68"