the US wasn't beaten in Vietnam,

the usa was humiliated in vietnam, and had to beat an ignominious retreat, the vietcong prevailed.

afghanistan is similar, in that the talibanis are prevailing through attrition and stubborn reluctance to cede to superior firepower.

having not learned from vietnam, this time it will be more humiliating...

especially as it cannot be said that the war was lost by jane fonda this time, indeed americans seem mostly only moved to end the occupation for solely economic reasons, unsurprising due to the much closer to absolute control of that pesky media, which was still much less muzzled back in the 60's, though still prevalently right wing.

the big difference is the draft, and the fact that vietnam was not on the chinese dime.

~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~