Another Quagmire?

Sam Soleta
Blog 3
ASA 02 03
October 18th, 2015

Modern foreign policy has been drastically altered since the end of the Vietnam War. Today in America, the risk of another Vietnam has been a constant fear when it comes to American troops setting foot on foreign soil. Priest’s “From Saigon to Baghdad: The Vietnam Syndrome, the Iraq War and the American Foreign Policy” elaborates on the fear of another Vietnam based off of the beginning of the war in Baghdad. Priest explains a “national malaise” in which America has felt a shared discomfort in regards to the Iraqi war. Furthermore, he highlights the potential for additional psychological trauma among Veterans. This is a very real fear as there are nearly 60,000 homeless veterans at any time - many with mental illness that developed after their deployment.

Not only does this fear stem from the potential ruined well-being of soldiers, but also a loss a pride in America. Priest mentions articles such as “Is Iraq Another Vietnam” and “Vietnam in Iraq” to highlight the many similarities of such a quagmire. In the grand scheme of things it suggests a sort of urgency in relation to our current state of affairs. Fear of another Khmer Rouge in the likes of the Taliban is a huge concern in addition to America’s “overwhelming application of force.” In all, we must stay vigil and be smart when it comes to foreign policy to avoid disastrous consequences based off of excessive force.

Question: At what point should America step into foreign problems and to what extent?