US interdiction of Ho Chi Minh trail during Vietnam war

Around 1968 the US stopped trying to deter the North Vietnamese from infiltrating the south by bombing the north. Instead they implemented a plan where they dropped thousands and thousands of sensors on the Ho Chi Minh trail in order to detect when the North Vietnamese were sending supplies and personnel south along the trail. When movement was detected this information was sent to patrolling F-4s who bombed the heck out of the area where the movement was detected. Ultimately the whole plan was a failure as it didn't do a whole lot to prevent the NV from infiltrating the south. Instead of providing a specific alternative possibility wherein the US could have better interdicted the movement south along the trail, I'm curious if anyone can provide a scenario where the US could have better interdicted the movement south. Could the sensor-shooter loop have been better implemented? Could some other plan have better worked? Was McNamara just too enthusiastic about throwing something hi-tech at the problem? Any thoughts? What are the implications of this situation for today?

The intention of the war and certain members of Congress was to keep the war going. To do this the enemy had to be given certain concessions such that they could keep the war going.
Aid must be allowed to enter Vietnam...such that the enemy could keep going and appear to create a real war.

While all this was going on South Vietnam and its infrastructure were brought into the 20th century with technology in key areas. Roads, Telephone systems, Dock facilities, Airfields, new homes for the affluent, and the epitome of real Americana...a Pepsi Cola factory. All this was done while the American Public had their eyes on the war and anti war movement.

Oil was discovered...drilled and capped off on shore as well as off shore in Vietnam. Once the support infrastructure was in place and developed at taxpayer expense...we pulled out and turned it over to the Communists. This effectively put the whole country in storage...such that the oil stayed in the ground and any competitors were kept out under the umbrella of Communism. Communism is the perfect tool to make sure no progress happens to a nation and at the same time the nations resources remain off the market...in storage.
Communism and communists are way to stupid to run anything and make a profit. Communism tends to eat up it's seed corn..not enought left to plant for next years crop.

This is very similar to what is happening in Iraq....rebuilding the infrastructure and bringing the country into the 21st century at taxpayer expense. The only question is ...when will the country be put in storage...and is a Taliban/ Al Qaeda government sufficient to put a country in storage..in the stone age...such that the resources will be kept off the market and competitors out.....ie...oil prices up.

The solution to the Vietnam scenario was to stop the ships from ever entering the Harbor in Haiphong....sink them at the docks or before they enter the harbor...ie..to mine the harbor. Ironically ....it is the one thing our government did not have the cojones to do. Just like they did not have the cojones to do in Nicaragua. They wanted that war to continue as well...same people...same scenario on both sides..it was an inside job...both wars as well as this one currently. How to keep the war going long enough to achieve a pre forecasted conclusion.
Vietnam was a planned loss. We were scheduled to lose.

I knew people who were in that specialty field..sensors..it was a specific code on the end of existing specialty codes.
They knew how much and when vehicles and even foot troops were being infiltrated down different trails. They were just controlled as to how often and when they could go after them. They should have stopped this stuff closer to the source...particularly the ships in the harbors. When you do not do this ...you effectively tie your hands behind your back while fighting. Huge expenses and risks are suffered by one side....unnecessarily. You only do this if you want the war to continue...not if you intend to win.
Notice that when Nixon pulled out the stops and once again ..sent the heavy bombers into North Vietnam ...it quickly began to bring the Vietnamese to the peace tables. They could not re arm fast enough to stop the onslaught. They quickly became desperate.

I believe this was part of Nixon's downfall. Like Ronald Reagan... Nixon was dumb enough to think he was a real president ..actually running the show himself....to win this war. We know how events happened for both presidents.

Somewhere in many of our wars the objectives to win seem to get hijacked and another plan superimposed or overlaid on the original as if it was the original plan. It is happening right now...once again.

History seems wont to repeat itself.

Thanks,
Orangetom

200 AC-130's with sufficient Weasels for SEAD and air cover would have brought it to a standstill.

The Buffs made people crap their pants, but the persistence of the Spectre puts a whole different spin on things.