Backstage at TENCROW Studios: The Vietnam War & The Cost of Miscalculation | Part 3 w/ Bob Worden

In this third installment of our ongoing series with mediator and historian Bob Worden, we explore the Vietnam War — one of the most controversial, painful, and politically complex conflicts in modern American history.

Drawing from his book How to Stop Wars and Save the World, Bob analyzes Vietnam the same way he would dissect a multi-party negotiation gone wrong: by examining motives, incentives, leadership decisions, and the points where peace was still possible.

Alongside host Mike McCoy—retired Special Operations veteran and co-founder of TENCROW Studios—we break down how the United States entered a war it never clearly defined, how political incentives outweighed strategic logic, and how an entire generation paid the price.

This conversation is not about assigning blame.
It’s about understanding how wars actually start — and why they’re so hard to stop once momentum takes over.

• How French colonial history set the stage long before American involvement

• The rise of Ho Chi Minh and why communism appealed to everyday Vietnamese citizens

• Why the U.S. backed the wrong leaders in South Vietnam

• The political fear of “looking weak” and how it drove escalation

• The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the role misinformation played

• The Tet Offensive as the breaking point for public support

• How war becomes a self-sustaining political machine

• Parallels between Vietnam and modern conflicts today

Vietnam isn’t just history.
It’s a blueprint for how wars are justified, framed, and prolonged.

This episode highlights how:

• Narrative can overtake reality

• “Strength” can be confused for wisdom

• And how everyday citizens often bear the cost of decisions made far above them

Understanding Vietnam helps us understand the world we’re living in now.

If you’re interested in geopolitical strategy, conflict resolution, military history, or just trying to make sense of current events — this conversation is worth your time.

🎧 Available wherever you listen to podcasts
📘 How to Stop Wars and Save the World — available now in print & audio
📍 Filmed at TENCROW Studios in Jacksonville, NC
🔗 https://tencrowstudios.com

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🔍 Key Themes in This Episode:💡 Why This Matters Today: