someone said: "First of all, Vietnam was not a war, it was a conflict. In order for an event to be considered a war, the president must declare war and then congress must approve."
I think wikipedia says it better: A war is a conflict involving the organized use of arms and physical force between states or other large-scale armed groups. The warring parties hold territory, which they can win or lose; and each has a leading person or organization which can surrender, or collapse, thus ending the war. The participants usually issue formal declarations of war.
Other terms for war, often used euphemistically, include armed conflict, hostilities, and police action."
How many people have to die before a conflict is decided to be a war?
More obviously, the events in Europe in say 1939-1940 and 1914 to 1917 were not obviously 'wars' because the American president hadn't decided it to be and had it ratified by Congress. Mmm.
I think a little perspective here is in order. However, I would agree with the poster: skepticism of the media is REQUIRED. Skepticism of ANY politician is also required. When a politician (clinton, bush, whoever) is on TV, a double shot would be the order of the day.
Kenneth