By 1953, T. R. Fehrenbach notes (in This Kind of War), almost every troop leader in the Far East held the opinion that continuing the war under present conditions was not only wasteful but verging on criminal:
Now generals said freely that it had been a mistake to remove the terrible pressure from the Communist armies in 1951. They did not say the U.N. should have marched to the Yalu — though many believed it — but they agreed that a firm foot should have been kept on the Communist neck until a signature was on the dotted line at Kaesong.
In retrospect, it seems beyond question that because the West brought naivete concerning Communist motives and methods to the conference table thousands more men that necessary were maimed and killed. If the U.N. had approached the table with a hard eye instead of a sigh of relief, in fighting stance instead of immediate relaxation the changes are high that peace could have been attained in 1951.
Russia-China is about to put their foot on our neck.
Or as is patently obvious at this point, the state department was (and is) full of communists who were happy to let the other side win/make gains and the US/”free” sides lose.
Or is painfully obvious then and now The State Dept is full of Progressives, not Communists, and the Progressives to Americans and their interests are far worse a bane. Communists are a diversion kept around so the Progs can do their terrible neoliberal work.
Acheson meant what he said, we were not going to defend Korea. He cared nothing then or later that there were thousands of American troops in harms way.
Kennan made it clear in his 1950s essays that the geopolitical board had us militarizing Japan, so the USSR was going to get Korea.
They’re not Communists, they’re Progressives.
They’re Neoliberal Progressive Capitalists, and we can all die to enrich our betters as Kagan just reaffirmed.
They’re not Communists, they were always a trick, a diversion. They’re Progressives, and they and not the Communists are our Bane.
So, modern US warfare was born.
Yes, “stay in and lose” was born.