The real lessons of Vietnam have yet to be learned.
Vietnam and Iraq: has the U.S. learned anything?
Professor Gabriel Kolko is a leading historian of modern warfare. He wrote 'Century of War: Politics, Conflicts and Society Since 1914' and, in 2002, 'Another Century of War?'
"the U.S. has ignored many of the lessons of the traumatic Vietnam experience and is today repeating many of the errors that produced defeat."
The Pentagon in the 1960s had an uncritical faith in its overwhelming firepower, its modern equipment, mobility, and mastery of the skies. It still does, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld believes the military has the technology to "shock and awe" all adversaries. America's leaders have time and again believed what they wanted, not what their intelligence told them.
"war in Vietnam, as in Iraq, was highly decentralized and the number of troops required only increased even as the firepower became greater. When they reached a half-million Americans in Vietnam the public turned against the President and defeated his party."
"In both Vietnam and Iraq the public was mobilized on the basis of cynical falsehoods which ultimately backfired, causing "credibility gap." People eventually ceased to believe anything Washington told them."
Many American leaders really believed that if the Communists won in Vietnam the "dominoes" would fall and all Southeast Asia would fall under Chinese and Soviet domination. The Tonkin Gulf crisis of August 1964 was manufactured, as the CIA's leading analyst later admitted in his memoir, because "the administration was seeking a pretext for a major escalation." The Iraq War was justified because Hussein was alleged to have weapons of mass destruction and ties to Al-Qaeda, but no evidence for either allegation has been found.
"Iraqization" of the military force required to put down dissidents will not accomplish what has eluded the Americans, and in both Vietnam and Iraq the U.S. underestimated the length of time it would have to remain and cultivated illusions about the strength of its friends.
The Iraqi army was disbanded but now is being partially reconstituted by utilizing Hussein's officers and enlisted men. As in Vietnam, where the Buddhists opposed the Catholics who comprised the leaders America endorsed, Iraq is a divided nation regionally and religiously, and Washington has the unenviable choice between the risks of disorder which its own lack of troops make likely and civil war if it arms Iraqis. Personal prediction: When the constitution is adopted, expect a major increase in insurgent attacks. The situation WILL get worse in Iraq, NOT better.
Rumsfeld's admission in his confidential memo "we lack the metrics to know if we are winning or losing the global war on terror" was an indication that key members of the Bush Administration are far less confident of what they are doing than they were early in 2003.
The real lessons of Vietnam have yet to be learned....it's not Vietnam, it's not Vietnam, it's not Vietnam....
I am a poor barometer for public opinion. I am often not in the mainstream. My guess is though that the American public would absolutely love it, and would never tire of it. I say that because I would love it and never tire of it. It would be a Very Good Thing. 
I see you enjoyed my short work?