Songs often reflect or critique the ideologies of their time period. However, the songs are not bound to the specific time period in which they are created because the ideologies they reflect or critique are also not bound to a specific context. These residual ideologies are created in the past, but still acting “as an effective element of the present” (Williams). The song “Masters of War” is a song that falls into this category; in 1963, the song “Masters of War” was written by Bob Dylan as a response to the antiwar movement against the Vietnam War, and in 2004, Pearl Jam applied the antiwar sentiment of the song to the context of the war on terrorism. In both time periods, the dominant ideology of militarism that prioritized the role of …show more content…
The terror attacks on September 11, 2001, introduced a new form of enemy and in response, the government invoked the residual ideology of militarism to combat this enemy instead of turning to an emergent ideology, or a new, creative way of facing this new enemy. The Bush administration declared the war on terrorism and in solidarity with those affected by the terror attacks, the public supported the government’s actions (Foner). However, the enemy of this war was loosely defined as those who “hate freedom” and the board definition included all “terrorist groups around the world” that poses a threat to the Western world and the freedom it represents (Foner). The first act of war under the war on terrorism was when the Taliban, the terrorist group responsible for the tragedy on September 11, refused to give up its leader Osama bin Laden and the United States responded with air strikes (Foner). To the public, this military action against Afghanistan and the Taliban seemed justified because the Taliban was the group responsible for the terror attacks. However, with the enemy so ambiguously defined and without a clear agenda, the government was able to take free rein of the direction of the war and possible self-interest came into play. The government identified the “axis of evil” as Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, and claimed that these three countries harbored weapons of mass destruction, or nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and planned to use these weapons on the United States; this claim was not supported by evidence (Foner). As the United States went to war with Iraq under this unjustified accusation, dissent rose around the world and many suspected that the true intention was to fight for control over the world’s second-largest oil reserves in Iraq (Foner). These antiwar protests around the world set the context for Pearl Jam’s 2004 cover of “Masters of War” on David
The Vietnam War was a major controversy for the United States compared to World War 1 and World War 2. With both of the previous wars that the United States had been a major part of they had brought the people of the country together to fight and work hard to show their support to the soldiers that were fighting. During these two wars we saw the rise of women in the workforce as they came into the picture of taking the jobs that the men held while they went away to fight in the way. And then there was the avid signing up to fight. Men as young as teenagers signing up to fight in both of these wars. The difference is that with the Vietnam War it was met with disdain from the public and also the soldiers as well. With this war people
On September 11, 2001, a series of terrorist attacks were directed for the United States by means of four hijacked planes. Two of which hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one hit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Department of Defense, and the fourth crashed in a field near Pittsburg after it was meant to hit the White House. The terror spread in the United States and brought concern and fear to the citizens. The impact of these terrorist attacks caused serious and detrimental damages within the country, and their result on the people were enormous; insecurity, helplessness, and susceptibility spread. Especially after the release of a videotape in which Osama Bin Laden, head of Al-Qaeda, admitted that he was responsible for the terrorist attacks. Hence, President George W, Bush declared the “war on terror” against all terrorists in the Arab world, specifically Afghanistan and Iraq. In the following paper, we will be discussing how the war on terror was waged, its effects on the target countries, and how it was perceived by political thinkers, where some saw it as a conspiracy theory against the Arab countries, and others believed the USA was the victim.
September 11th catalyzed a major revival in the American public’s concern for domestic national security, which had dropped off following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The attacks, which were the first on American soil since Pearl Harbor, prompted American leaders to respond with swift and ambitious military action. At this time, the public perceived security of American territory against “terrorism”–an intentionally broad and emotionally charged term– as its chief national interest. Following the attack, President Bush announced the launch of a “global war on terror”, an international effort to combat terrorist groups and the nations that harbor them–prompting him to establish the Department of Homeland Security later that year.
On September 11th 2001, the United States was hit with a devastating blow when four commercial airplanes were hijacked by Al-Qaeda terrorist who deliberately crashed two of the planes into the World Trade Center complex, and a third plane into the Pentagon. The fourth plane, headed for Washington D.C., instead crashed in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost on this egregious day. In response, President George W. Bush waged the controversial “Global War on Terrorism” which turned out to be a self-inflicted wound for America, bleeding still today. Bush’s highly-criticized decision was inconsistent with the strategic principles of war.
The Anti-war movement started during the 1960s and shaped America’s public opinion on conflicts for years to come. As in all American conflicts, the will of the people controls the actions of the military. Without Homefront support, the American war machine dies. American pop culture during the 60s and 70s, sought to change public opinion against the Vietnam War. Through blatant Anti-war lyrics to their actions, the popular artists and musicians of the era changed the mindset of a generation to oppose the military actions in Vietnam.
On September 11, 2001, there was a terrorist attack against the United States. Hijackers flew a jetliner into each of New York’s World Trade Center towers. Simultaneously, a third jetliner crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia. Due to these horrific events, thousands of people were killed. In response to the attacks, the United States declared a “War on Terror.” However, the actions of the U.S. did not come without criticisms from the people of the nation.
has adapted to the jungle and the way of life in Vietnam, he would be
Regarded as one of the most controversial and polarizing military conflicts in U.S. history, the Vietnam War has left a deep and lasting impact on American culture, politics, and foreign policy. From 1964 to the present day, the Vietnam War redefined the scope of U.S. influence both at home and abroad, and caused a fundamental shift in American society that dramatically changed the way in which Americans viewed their government and the role of the United States as a world power. For an entire generation of Americans, who watched as the horrors of the war in Vietnam unfold before the spotlight of the national media, the Vietnam War directly challenged the superiority of the American way and the infallibility of U.S military dominance. In truth, the U.S government, U.S. military, and the American people as a whole struggled to accept the lessons of America’s greatest military failure and the sobering reality of the war’s consequences. To this day, the legacy of this so-called “American War” continues to resonate throughout the fabric of American society as a cautionary tale of U.S foreign intervention and blind acceptance of open-ended conflict.
CONSIDERATION: In March 8, 1965, 3,500 marines of the 9th Expeditionary Brigade arrived in Central Vietnam; they were the first of the many American combat troops to be deployed into what ultimately was, a great tragedy (Lindsay). This tragedy is known to the world as the Vietnam War. A war that was an unmitigated disaster. A war that was lost before it even began. A war that resulted in the deaths of countless lives. An estimated two million Vietnamese civilians were killed, alongside 1.1 milion North Vietnamese soldiers, 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers, and 58,200 U.S. soldiers (Spector). Once a champion of America's involvement in the Vietnam War, Robert McNamara, the Secretary of Defense who presided over
The Vietnam War which was very important in the history that has shaped the country that we know today.The conflict in Vietnam was very controversial and brought out two different groups ,the doves and the hawks.The United States put troops in Vietnam to try and stop communism and the domino theory.The downside to the involvement was the opposition to the war.Billions of dollars was spent when the congress gave Johnson a blank check.The general public was also mislead by the media and the government.Another reason for opposition was that the army even turned onto the civilians in Vietnam thinking that they were the Vietcong.
The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Vietnam. Vietnam use to be a peaceful country until the idea of communism started spreading across Vietnam. Many wanted to stay democratic but saw what happened to the Germans and started to lean towards communism. Many also wanted to stay democratic and still had it hopes high that it will soon get their lives and economy back on track.
In the mid 1960s a pervasive anti-war atmosphere came about surrounding the Vietnam War. Encompassing this war, the anti-war movement was fueled by three ambitious groups who, in their quest for distinct changes, induced the downfall of the liberalist democratic party and set the stage for the new conservative republicans with three movements that made up the anti-war radicalism. These three movements include, the New Left movement, Black Power and Women’s liberation movement. All three movements were initiated due to the negative effects of the Vietnam War on their needs, “suggesting that the American “system” was connected to the evolution of the war.” Therefore, one by one, these sub-movements in the Anti-war atmosphere against the
Foreign policy is one of the deadliest forces the United States has ever seen. It is what sends away thousands of Americans to fight for our Nation. During the Vietnam era, a staggering number of men were drafted to go fight overseas in a war against Communism. It was not them signing their draft cards, it was foreign policy signing it for them. The mere fact we no longer have the draft is due to what we learned during this extended war.
Ever since the beginning of the terrorist attacks on American soil, the War on Terror has been involved in the lives of Americans and nations near us. The War on Terror’s background originated through conflicts between warring countries in the Middle East; U.S. involvement started when a terrorist guided plane crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 in New York City. The attack was suspected to be the work of the middle-eastern terrorist group Al-Qaeda. The U.S. military, under the leadership of then commander-in-chief George W. Bush, declared a “War on Terror” on the terrorist group and the fighting began.
The Global War on Terror is a military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom and supported by other NATO members. It was originally against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with the purpose of eliminating them. This paper discusses how the Bush Administration handled the War on Terror as well as different aspects of it, including its terminology, its objectives, its military operations and criticism against it.