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April 1, 2015

Title: A Golden Anniversary of Bad Decisions
Topic: Vietnam War Decisions Reviewed

Discussed by Professor Dr. Earl Tilford
with Center for Vision and Values (www.VisionAndValues.org)

Superior forces burdened by flawed strategy, even with a decided technological edge, will lose to an enemy driven by desperation or fanaticism and willing to bear the cost. If the weaker side prolongs the conflict despite losing most of the battles, it still can win the war. Example: The Americans during the Revolutionary War.

Dr. Earl Tilford is a military historian and fellow for the Middle East & terrorism with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. A retired Air Force intelligence officer, Dr. Tilford earned his PhD in American and European military history at George Washington University. From 1993 to 2001, he served as Director of Research at the U.S. Army’s Strategic Studies Institute.

Did we actually learn anything from the Vietnam War? Today, Dr. Tilford discusses military strategy and how you win a war. Wars are not won by sitting on the sidelines, not fighting. Dr. Tilford believes we need to learn from the mistakes made in Vietnam when fighting ISIS and Al Qaida. “We’re fighting non-state actors who will not obey the rules of war,” he says. “Most military forces protect their citizens; these soldiers use their citizens to protect them!”

Dr. Tilford goes on to discuss how we must realize the real threat our enemy poses and understand their goals. “When you get sick, you develop a strategy to combat the disease in your body. This is how we need to view our enemy – as a disease, and we need a strategy before it’s too late,” Dr. Tilford proclaims.

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