Our best bet for avoiding world war is to cut off aid and trade to the anti-democratic regimes of the world, and let them implode.

Do you mean anti-democratic regimes like Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuala? Or do you mean anti-democratic regimes like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan?

How could the press err so greatly in its Tet coverage with such impact on the nation? There is no simple answer to the question.

If you can't beat 'em, you can always blame the press. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So you seem to be saying that we need to keep repeating the Vietnam war until we get it right (and by right, you seem to be blaming dissent for our failure).

The real failure in your vision of how nations interoperate is that it supposes absolute victory is the goal. No notion of politics, compromise, give and take, etc... I suppose this comes from your idealism that seems to be based on a Wilsonian vision to bring democracy to the rest of the world.