As for me, I thought the series the best documentary on the war I have ever seen. 
Rather than have some talking head describe the words and actions of our political leaders, they dug up Kennedy's words, Johnson's words, Nixon at his finest...
If I were boss I would make sure that all future national leaders, both in Congress and the Presidency, watched the series. It was shocking to hear Kennedy say he thought (paraphrased) that the war would be a disaster, but he wanted to get reelected. It was sickening to watch the clips that showed how Nixon conspired with the South Vietnamese to stop the peace process, just so he and Kissinger could get power. 
I am bitter enough now, after Vietnam and the insanity of the George W. Bush war crime Iraq war, to see the true lesson of Burns' to be that humans simply aren't intelligent enough to elect  leaders who can rise above personal greed to stop war itself.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon