Comparing Wars

Abstract

Debates about the similarities and differences between the wars in Vietnam and Iraq have lacked agreed criteria for comparison. A set of 20 categories for comparing wars is proposed, grouped under causes/rationales, participants, methods/nature, scale/duration, and outcomes. This classification scheme is used to illustrate how commentators on Vietnam-Iraq press their cases: commonly, they select comparison categories favorable to their cases and ignore or downplay categories and evidence that do not support their case.