Why is Stealth So Important?

Seems to me like all the modern wars I can remember up from Vietnam
use mostly ordinary fighters and bombers.

I don't understand why such emphasis is put on that stealth stuff when
we use the same old planes from previously.

I still remember when the F-14 and F-15 came out. Don't we still use
these? Aren't they better than everyone else's stuff?

My son Billy tells me I'm out of date on such matters and that the old
Reds have stuff that is better than ours. Tell me it ain't so. I saw
on tv one night a show on the History Channel that showed a new plane
that did amazing flying but I can't recall its name. It was a Red
plane tho.

I don't have much interest in stealth so long as we keep pounding them
Arabs with B-52 bombs! God bless the almighty B-52.

Since I'm out of date maybe you guys can fill me in on the latest.
What makes a stealth aircraft better? If they are so good how come we
don't own many? What if they were all destroyed, wouldn't we still be
able to fight with the proven stuff?

Many thanks,

James Dandy