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Vietnam: The War For Rubber?

interstatepawnllcinterstatepawnllc Member Posts: 9,390
edited December 2003 in General Discussion
Got to talking with an old Vietnam vet tonight about the USA,s war in Vietnam. He said the war was all about the rubber trees. That is to say that is was fought to keep the rubber out of Russian hands via North Vietnam. He further stated that are withdrawl was directly coordinated with the introduction of affordable synthetic rubber in the US marketplace. The war was fought for rubber? Chime in knowledgeable vets.


JC

Ted Kennedy's breath has killed more people than my car.

Comments

  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Haven't heard this one before. Total crap.
  • Gibbs505Gibbs505 Member Posts: 3,175
    edited November -1
    The Germans had synthetic rubber in WW@
  • HAIRYHAIRY Member Posts: 23,606
    edited November -1
    In Saigon, we used to say, "Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what you can do for Michelin." [;)]

    "'To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime.'
    Nuremburg Tribunal, 1946"
    It's not what you know that gets you in trouble, it's what you know that just ain't so!
  • toolmaniamtoolmaniam Member Posts: 3,213
    edited November -1
    Sounds like the liberals saying we are in Iraq for the oil.[;)]

    A dead intruder cannot testify against you in a court of law!

    If they're still moving, put another round in them!

    P239n_Beauty.gif
  • interstatepawnllcinterstatepawnllc Member Posts: 9,390
    edited November -1
    I am still thinking this guy is/was a lost blowhard.[:(!]


    JC

    Ted Kennedy's breath has killed more people than my car.
  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
    edited November -1
    First I ever heard of it.

    How you doin'!wolf_evil_smile_md_wht.gif
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Had the priviledge to make many excursion into RUBBER country in Nam, however, the French held most of the plantations for years but they were kicked out and most of them were defunct and burned out, 1968-1972.

    Viet Nam was a political skirmish.

    undrgd.gif

    "I dont care how thin you make a pancake, it still has two sides"

    "A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
  • Rafter-SRafter-S Member Posts: 2,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I recall, we got involved in French Indo China in support of our great WWII allies (the French) who had colonized it mainly for the natural resources. Under other circumstances, we would have been supporting the rebels who were trying to root the French out. Anyway, the French got their rears kicked (what's new) and pulled out...and we stayed (a long story as to why...for all the wrong reasons but they sounded good at the time). A classic example of the term "clusterfu*k. Anyway, the rest is history.

    I am not the history buff that many here are so I am sure they will set the record straight.

    Rafter-S (who made D's in history and felt good about them)
  • robomanroboman Member Posts: 6,436
    edited November -1
    The war in Vietnam was to stop the godless commies from taking over the world.

    signew.JPG
  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007
    edited November -1
    Roboman - Thank you for explaining in one line, what I've been trying to figure out since I got blown up there nearly 40 years ago.

    May I refer my Brothers-in-Arms, who have also been puzzled for a long time, to you so they can be brought up to speed by your wisdom?


    God Bless America and...
    NEVER Forget WACO
    NEVER, EVER Forget 911
  • CWatsonCWatson Member Posts: 964 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't belittle Roboman's reply too much.The fact that the US resisted the expansion of communisim whenever and wherever it could is the reason large parts of the world,europe in particular do not kneel to the hammer and sickle.CW


    1.KILL EM' ALL AND LET ALLAH SORT EM' OUT!

    2.NEVER WASTE MONEY ON SPRINGFIELD ARMORY!!
  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007
    edited November -1
    CW - The war was a lot more complex than he thinks.

    To begin with, we were responding to an aid request from a country with whom we had a legal mutual defense treaty.

    And on... and on.

    God Bless America and...
    NEVER Forget WACO
    NEVER, EVER Forget 911
  • HAIRYHAIRY Member Posts: 23,606
    edited November -1
    The irony of the Vietnam war is that Ho Chi Minh asked General Stilwell during WWII for military aid to help fight the Japanese; our government said no. Imagine what could have developed had we provided assistance. Instead, we were supporting France and doing what we could to help her. [}:)]

    REMEMBER: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished![;)]

    "'To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime.'
    Nuremburg Tribunal, 1946"
    It's not what you know that gets you in trouble, it's what you know that just ain't so!
  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106
    edited November -1
    Absolutely untrue!

    WW2 was fought in the Indo-China theater to remove raw materials from the Axis. Rubber was vital to the Japanese, but we had synthetics by that time.

    Yes, there were rubber plantations in Viet Nam in the 60's. Yes, they produced rubber. Mostly they were French owned.

    NO! Rubber wasn't a motive for the war.

    Nord
  • robomanroboman Member Posts: 6,436
    edited November -1
    Doug, it was a joke, and a poor one at that. I thought the vets could find some of the humor in that. I guess not and I'm sorry. A poor joke from a dumb person such as myself.

    signew.JPG
  • Red223Red223 Member Posts: 7,946
    edited November -1
    Dang Vietnamese are selling their catfish and shrimp over here putting the American catfish farmers out of business.

    U.S. Embassy in Vietnam is trying to ease tensions betweens us, costing us jobs....not that that is a shock to anyone.

    Robo don't worry 'bout it. You weren't even alive during the Vietnam War and these guys are more than happy to give you info on the War. Everyone has stories to tell.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That is one theory. Another is that the war was fought to control the production of rice. Largest producer of rice in the world is VN. Second largest is US. Largest consumer of rice is PRC. See where it is going? It was much, much more complex than any of that as Doug said.

    My heros have always killed cowboys.
  • ElMuertoMonkeyElMuertoMonkey Member Posts: 12,898
    edited November -1
    It was for a variety of reasons and not everyone pursued the reason for the same goals.

    Raw materials were, no doubt, at the forefront of some very petty people's minds. Others coducted the war to prevent the spread of communism. And others felt that since we had a defense treaty with South Vietnam, defending them was the only honorable thing to do regardless of how corrupt their regime was.

    There was no single reason for the Vietnam War. A lot of folks with a lot of reasons made a lot of decisions that came to one conclusion: a long war and a lot of lives lost.
  • outdoortexasoutdoortexas Member Posts: 4,780
    edited November -1
    Agree with on this one EMM, many reasons, many mistakes.

    On the rubber deal, all I can say here is that I spent some time in Dalat up in the high country, French locals were never bothered that I heard about. Of course unlike other areas of the country, the plantations there were seldom hit. Seems there was some unwritten agreement, but the same can be said for the area around Vung Tau as well. R&R area for both sides!
  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007
    edited November -1
    Robo - Thanks for the explanation. I didn't see the humor in your reply at the time - seems kinda like joking about the Holocaust. There are a lot of guys on the board that took a lot of steel there.

    If you want to see a pretty good movie about the Viet Nam War (when I was there), see if you can rent "Go Tell The Spartans", which stars Burt Lancaster. It was made during the war and has little of the political correctness of some of the other movies. You will probably have a hard time finding it.

    As far as the politics of the war - there are volumes written about it. Remember this, always - the American GIs never lost a SINGLE battle during the war.

    EMM - You put it well.

    God Bless America and...
    NEVER Forget WACO
    NEVER, EVER Forget 911
  • Frank HodgesFrank Hodges Member Posts: 175 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nat resoures is one. The the Delta and surrounding area can produce 1/3 of the Worlds rice Primitivly Ask Classic 095 . Classic see any tractors planting rice , just those big ole buffalos, planting and harvesting all by hand He dog is pretty close the truth .If it wasn't 150-250 yard from the river I did not see it So I realy don't know about the rubber ,But opium was the other cash crop nobody ever f**k w/them NVA-VC- multi-national or us. free to pass go But it has my opinion that it was rice and the untap supply of oil in the South lots drilling in the 80s. But that this is my opinion and my 26 mo.of active duty there..............

    Don't Piss down my back and tell me its Rainin
  • HAIRYHAIRY Member Posts: 23,606
    edited November -1
    And don't forget that Vietnam had a vote; Ho Chi Minh won and the US said, "No way--we don't accept that." And that is democracy in action (perhaps we'll see a repeat in Iraq)! [}:)]

    "To put blind faith in government is as stupid as putting blind faith in what a used-car salesman tells you. It is also un-American. In our great country, sovereignty rests with the people, and the proper attitude of a citizen toward government at all levels is courteous skepticism. Elected officials and bureaucrats are your servants, not your masters." --Charley Reese
  • interstatepawnllcinterstatepawnllc Member Posts: 9,390
    edited November -1
    Now Hairy, you know good and well we could not accept that. Everybody knows what notorious ballot stuffers those N. Vietnese were/are!![:D]


    JC

    Ted Kennedy's breath has killed more people than my car.
  • HAIRYHAIRY Member Posts: 23,606
    edited November -1
    Interstate: You just gave me a thought to ponder: I wonder if the Vietnamese believe they whupped the US like the US believes we whupped the British during our Revolutionary War? Look at how close the US and Brits became since that "incident". [;)]

    "To put blind faith in government is as stupid as putting blind faith in what a used-car salesman tells you. It is also un-American. In our great country, sovereignty rests with the people, and the proper attitude of a citizen toward government at all levels is courteous skepticism. Elected officials and bureaucrats are your servants, not your masters." --Charley Reese
  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,235 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have thought about it being French-Indo-China=rubber plantions and a major French tire maker?
  • Compact_KidCompact_Kid Member Posts: 257 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My father was wounded in Vietnam. He does not but Michelin tires because of this simple reason. His squad was told not to fire into the French owned patch of rubber trees, guess where the enemy hid.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    During my two tours in Nam, 25 months, cut one month short do to injuries, I never saw anything but Water Buffalo and peasant up to their knees in poop, planting rice, no machines, even the irrigation pumps were muscle powered, they been doing it that way for a thousand years, and we werent gonna change em,



    undrgd.gif

    "I dont care how thin you make a pancake, it still has two sides"

    "A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
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