Vietnam War Documentary

• Watched the Vietnam War Documentary 10 part series on Netflix.
• This was made in 2017. 
• Narrated by Peter Coyote it is a must watch.
• Link is here 10 part series
• I will say this is a must watch.
• And no matter where you are in the world you should watch this.
• This is a story which will remain hidden unless you watch this documentary.
• You should watch this documentary before you die.
• Many myths about the Vietnam War will be dispelled.
• Like I used to think US did not involve itself hard enough and so it lost.
• But fact is it gave all it got.
• Everything short of nuclear weapons. Chemical weapons like Agent Orange included. And also Napalm.
• Napalm was such a weapon which peeled the skins of the enemy. And perhaps vaporised anything in its path.
• Agent Orange made vast tracts of green forests into "orange" and made it easier to spot the rebels also called as "Viet Cong" from air and then drop bombs into them.
• US pounded Vietnam like no country was ever pounded before.
• Three million tons of explosives were dropped more than Japan and Germany combined during/from WW2. 
• In 1960's and 70's in the backdrop of Cold War, US was a close ally of Pakistan
• You feel US is all powerful and could have prevented the breakup of East Pakistan and West Pakistan.
• But the fact is by 1971 the US was deeply divided as a society.
• US COULD NOT HAVE INVOLVED ITSELF IN ANOTHER WAR. PERIOD.
• I deeply admire the bravery and courage and determination of Vietnamese people. I have now got deep respect for them.
• They fought so hard for their independence.
• First they fought the French and DEFEATED THEM and then they fought the most powerful country of the world United States and DEFEATED THEM.
• For the Vietnamese the Vietnam War started as soon as WW2 ended (1945) and ended in 1975 a total of 30 years.
• Perhaps Vietnam is the only country to defeat the Americans the most powerful country of the world.
• Salute to the Vietnamese.
• Indians have sacrificed nothing in comparison for independence.
• But I have read somewhere that British atrocities files have been systematically destroyed over the decades and years.
• In that sense Americans also deserve my salute.
• Because the Americans have chronicled the war and preserved the records.
• I AM 100% CERTAIN THAT NO OTHER COUNTRY WILL PRESERVE THE WAR RECORDS LIKE AMERICA.
• Even if US lost the war the details of war and atrocities and massacres are preserved.
• The makers of the documentary Ken Burns and others have done a great job for the human race. I am deeply grateful to them for making a documentary like this.
• Certain scenes deserve special mention
• Like the scene where military veterans began throwing away their medals at Capitol building after opposing the war.
• Just When North Vietnamese began entering Saigon and the war was about to get over, how the American helicopters piloted by American and South Vietnamese pilots made a dash to the "Flotilla of ships" including aircraft carriers and there was no space to keep them on the boats and so they were dumped to the sea.
• Since the then South Vietnamese President gave a call to lay down weapons when Saigon was invaded and there was no massacre.
• How wars were fought in sparsely populated areas like hills and jungles which were lost as soon as bloody battles were fought and the forces withdrew.
• Another when Life magazine published the photos of the Americans who died on that particular week in Vietnam. More than 200 photos.
• Americans gave their full force to the war. Pounded them with all it got. Let there be no two thoughts about it and STILL THEY LOST.
• I think Trump and all future potential Presidents of US should watch this ten part documentary.
• The story gives the learning that no matter how powerful you are you can still be defeated.
• Body count of the enemy is no measure of success.
• Three million of Vietnamese died compared to fifty eight thousand Americans. AND STILL US LOST.
• 300,000 of Vietnamese are missing and that is a hell lot of people.
• 1500 missing from America and America cant stomach it. Just think three hundred thousand.
• Those of North Vietnamese who became missing perhaps because their bodies got vaporized or turned to dust or their corpses were disposed of the Americans and South Vietnamese following pitch battles using bulldozers.
• It also shows how the Americans fought the "Orientals" just because they looked different. BUT STILL THEY LOST.
• The more I think about it I am inclined to believe that inspite of what happened Pakistan still got together with US to defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and gave the Soviet Union their own Vietnam.
• THERE CANNOT BE A MORE GREATER ALLY FOR AMERICA THAN PAKISTAN.
• Israel is a natural ally for America. And post defeat in Vietnam, America got more and more involved in Middle East.
• Maybe that is what the Jewish think tank wanted. Folks like Kissinger and those who headed the anti-War movement were mostly Jewish and so I learnt.
• Their aim was for America to forget South East Asia and concentrate on and get involved in a massive way in Middle East and the oil rich countries.
• And America is a big giant which came with full force to protect the small giant of Israel.
• Similarly presently in 2018 Pakistan also does not want US to leave Afghanistan.
• As long as US is in Afghanistan Pakistan knows that India cannot attack it with all its might and subdue Pakistan. Before that happens, US will get itself involved as their military would be next door in Afghanistan.
• Back in 1979, popular revolution in Iran overthrew the American puppet Govt of Reza Shah Pahlavi.
• Iran probably got their inspiration from US defeat in Vietnam. They understood that America is not that invincible as they thought. If tiny nation of Vietnam could do it so they could and did not need to be puppet state of US.
• Indira Gandhi was also an astute leader who got the courage to dismember Pakistan after seeing American catastrophe in Vietnam.
• She knew divided America (among pro war and anti War) could never a pose a threat to India.