Best American General of All Time?

[Smitty-48]

Was it something he even gave though to?

Koba considered all options.

I think he was, in the end, afraid of the Americans.

The Americans dropped the bombs, that deterred Stalin in all respects.

Can you see a scenario where he actually got control of Turkey? What was the strategic importance of Greece for the Soviets?

The Soviets were playing the long game, they were seeking to dominate all of Western Europe, internal revolution was their primary strategy, the military option was just a last resort.

[Smitty-48]

Bear in mind that the Soviets did not foresee King Dollah.

They did not factor in that America would bail Europe out.

They thought it was going to be a harsh realm, so communist takeover was viable.

Washington put that out of reach with the Beatles and Blue Jeans.

[heydaralon]

I read that Tito started bucking against Stalin right after WW2, and that the world thought that WW3 was going to start over Trieste and Italy and Yugoslavia would drag us all in. Why was Tito kicking up shit? Was his longterm strategy just to not be controlled by Stalin?




Do you consider Tito to have been a good leader, pinkoism aside?

[Smitty-48]

I read that Tito started bucking against Stalin right after WW2, and that the world thought that WW3 was going to start over Trieste and Italy and Yugoslavia would drag us all in. Why was Tito kicking up shit? Was his longterm strategy just to not be controlled by Stalin?




Do you consider Tito to have been a good leader, pinkoism aside?

Tito simply didn't trust Stalin.

Tito was the leader of the Communist resistance under Axis occupation and Stalin fucked him over.

Tito was a good leader, the commies have some good leaders, none the less, their Marxist doomsday economic theory dooms only them, while Big Green Machine rolls on to ever bigger and better things.

[Smitty-48]

It's like Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap.

Great leaders.

But what happened?

Marxist centralization allowed Le Duan to seize power as the Stalin of Indochina.

Who saved Vietnam in the end?

America.

Once Le Duan was dead, America came back to the rescue.

Literally John McCain. John McCain is a hero in Vietnam now.

[heydaralon]

It's like Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap.

Great leaders.

But what happened?

Marxist centralization allowed Le Duan to seize power as the Stalin of Indochina.

Who saved Vietnam in the end?

America.

Once Le Duan was dead, America came back to the rescue.

Literally John McCain. John McCain is a hero in Vietnam now.

They like John McCain over there? Wtf. That would be like Tojo being a hero in Hawaii or Sherman getting a stadium named after him in Atlanta...

[Smitty-48]

It's like Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap.

Great leaders.

But what happened?

Marxist centralization allowed Le Duan to seize power as the Stalin of Indochina.

Who saved Vietnam in the end?

America.

Once Le Duan was dead, America came back to the rescue.

Literally John McCain. John McCain is a hero in Vietnam now.

They like John McCain over there? Wtf. That would be like Tojo being a hero in Hawaii or Sherman getting a stadium named after him in Atlanta...

John McCain was held prisoner and tortured by Le Duan and his Stalinist cronies.

So were all the Vietnamese people, to include the Viet Minh.

When John McCain said, in effect, it wasn't the Vietnamese, it was Le Duan, so I forgive, and let's do business together, as we always should have?

That made a big impression on the Vietnamese, who were and are, in the throws of embracing the American free market, while wanting to leave the war in the past.

They never wanted to fight America, it was all a big misunderstanding.

[DBTrek]

It was all the French.
Thanks, France.
This diminishes the goodwill you earned by helping us kick the Brits off our land (helping to kick the natives off our land too, thanks!)

[Smitty-48]

It was all the French.

Not only did the French rope America into it, they stabbed America in the back after.

John McCain is a great American tho.

I am aware of his foibles, but history will remember him fondly.

When Vietnam is finally free of the Communists, they should build a monument to John McCain.

[Smitty-48]

Peace with Vietnam is good for America.

So many great Americans in Vietnam, Hal Moore, Charles Beckwith, John Paul Van, Creighton Abrams.

Even Westy, Westy gets a bad rap.

America having brought Vietnam back into the fold, makes it all worth it.

Thus the great Americans in Vietnam can finally get their due.

Like the conscripts. They get a bad rap.

Morale did collapse after Hamburger Hill, but that was just sanity in the face of absurdity.

None the less, the conscript army which America sent to Vietnam in 1965 was the zenith.

The First Team. Air Cav. Ia Drang. Landing Zone X-Ray.

Same for the troopers at Landing Zone Albany, often overlooked.

The best troops ever produced, in the history of the republic.