The War Of The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War plunged the United States in an ever-increasing dilemma of how to exit what seemed to be an unwinnable war against a formidable foe without losing honor and respect in the global community. In a comparison of two essays regarding America’s involvement in Vietnam, the authors offer different perspectives on the war and what led to an America defeat. In the first essay, the effects of the 1968 Tet Offensive are examined and what impact it had on American policy and public opinion about the war effort. Likewise, the second essay examines the role the news media played in the war effort and what effect they had, if any, on official and public opinion, domestically and internationally.

The credibility gap happened because of president Johnson lack of communication of what happened with the united states involving itself in the vietnam war. He was so into wanting to stop the war into increasing and communist spreading. That he wouldn't communicate with the people and they wouldn’t be informed well so they would start wondering.however the medial also had a huge impact on this because of videos and picture out

This anti-war sentiment was fueled when The New York Times published the Pentagon Papers, a secret government history documenting the mistakes and deceptions of government members regarding Vietnam. Following this, the government assured Americans they would be informed about any war developments, a claim that was quickly questioned when it was revealed that the government had been secretly bombing Cambodia since 1969. Beginning with the recession in 1970, the economy in the 1970s was a huge setback for many Americans, who could not keep up with the rapidly improving international markets. However, Nixon provided solutions for the broken economic state and by 1972, he was ready for re-election. On the other hand, this re-election enabled Nixon to engage in various illegal and unjust activities, notoriously, the Watergate scandal. Thus, the nation entered a period of government distrust, as a result of the various aspects of Nixon’s administration, particularly the uncertainty with the war against Vietnam in Cambodia, Nixon’s Southern strategy to obtain re-election, and culminating

The Vietnam War was a long, expensive war between the communist regime of North Vietnam and Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its ally the United States of America. The war began in 1954 after the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam, and continued against the image of the previous Cold War between two global superpowers; the US and The Soviet Union. In this essay I will investigate the changing role and attitudes of the media in the United States, and the impact, if any, it had on the United States Government.

A credibility gap is “a difference in perception between the government and its people”, and “it occurs when there is a disconnect between what is being told to the people and what they actually believe.” It became a part of American culture during the Vietnam War, originating from the fact that President Lyndon Johnson significantly downplayed America’s role in Vietnam at the time. President Johnson stated that they were only becoming involved with Vietnam to prevent the communist state of North Vietnam from taking over South Vietnam. As the United States military became more and more involved in Vietnam, President Johnson refused to give specific, complete details about the country’s involvement to the American public, as evident in one of his ambiguous speeches at Johns Hopkins University in April 1965. Focusing only on issues of anti-communism and humanitarianism, President Johnson said, “America will always oppose the effort of one nation to conquer another nation,” further stating that “the United States must intervene to stop the bloodshed.”

“No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War.” –Richard Nixon, 1985. Since the Vietnam War, there has been almost fifty years of remembrance, various readings, and the publication of military documents. However, Richard Nixon’s quote still has a certain veracity. The United States has fought in many wars, but none have compelled Americans to question our motives like the Vietnam War. The United States should not have gotten involved in Vietnam, because it was illegal, unjustified, and unethical.

For almost 200 years the American public viewed their government and its chief executive with virtual reverence. Presidents like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were the embodiment of every principle and value set forth in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The events that occurred in Vietnam coupled with the Watergate scandal shocked the nation and irreparably damaged the publics’ view of politics and government activities. The release of the Pentagon papers

“I was persuaded then, and I remain persuaded now, that the war was wrong. And since it was wrong and since people were dying as a result of it, it was evil(O ' Brien 272).” Tim O ' Briens If I Die in a Combat Zone is based in the Vietnam war with the main character being Tim O ' Brien. He explains what it was like to be drafted into the war and the hardships that he went through fighting the Vietcong. The changes that happened before his eyes to people he was fighting with being turned into a deranged person. He describes the fears that the soldiers had of bouncing betties and the people hiding waiting to attack the moment they go to sleep. The Vietnam started in 1955 and ended in 1975 with a total body count of a million people killed

During the Vietnam War, Americans were greatly influenced by the extensive media coverage of the war. Before the 1960’s and the intensification of the war, public news coverage of military action was constrained heavily by the government and was directed by Government policy. The Vietnam War uniquely altered the perception of war in the eyes of American citizens by bringing the war into their homes. The Vietnam War was the first U.S uncensored war resulting in the release of graphic images and unaltered accounts of horrific events that helped to change public opinion of the war like nothing it had ever been. This depiction by the media led to a separation between the United States government and the press; much of what was reported flouted

The Vietnam War, deploying 2.5 million troops and lasting 10 years made it one of the largest wars in United States history. Allegedly, the war started after two navy ships were fired at off of the banks of Vietnam. The questionable attack would foreshadow a very misunderstood and questioned war to come. The United State’s army would be tested in just how strong they were, some 58,000 men were killed and almost double that were severely disabled. This was humiliating to the United States, a great world power at the time, and tensions grew as the war went on. Robert F. Kennedy mentioned the severity of the war in one of his speeches, “For years we have been told that the measure of our success and progress in Vietnam was

The Vietnam War, is widely regarded as a conflict that divided public opinion in the United States and influenced civilian perceptions on international relations. The conflict lasted for over twenty years and began after a policy of communism was introduced in the North after the withdrawal of French imperialists. The American government was highly concerned with the spread of communism in Asia (known as the Domino Theory) and wanted to end the possible political threat. Over time, the war has became a part of American social memory and is especially known for its distribution of iconic imagery of civilian atrocities. Through these images, varying tales have been told and have brought into question American values, as well as possible hidden motivations of both the government and the press. Over the course of several decades, a popular myth has formed that photojournalism was a critical hallmark to the effectiveness of the anti-war movement, however the public perception of the imagery was commonly not out of sympathy for the Vietnamese people who were victims, but dissatisfaction with the influx of internal confusion and misinformation. This essay will argue the Vietnam War 's use of photojournalism, ultimately contributed to the questioning of American values, as well as the hidden motives of government and media outlets that remains a concern in modern America.

Rita Ghatourey once said, “Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.” Sometimes bad decisions can lead to a broken finger nail or a scratch, while others can cause millions of deaths and psychological tolls. Throughout history, multitudinous countries and leaders have made deplorable decisions, causing lives to be lost. For example, during the Vietnam War, Presidents of the United States made many unethical decisions, which only further exacerbated the war. The war occurred from 1965 through 1968 in mostly Vietnam, but also in Laos and Cambodia. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam and their communist allies and South Vietnam, supported by the US and a few other countries. The Viet

Throughout the 1960’s, the United States of America was in the midst of change, advancements, and struggle. It was America vs. the Soviet Union, always trying to one up each other in both weaponry and space technology, but the main conflict was the spread of Communism. As the battle between Communists and Non-Communists raged on, America attempted to do everything in its power to stop the spread of communism all around the world. This is what lead to the gruesome war that lasted over a decade in Vietnam. A great deal of social changed happened all over the world, but particularly in America as the Vietnam War dragged on. As people became more aware of the atrocities going on in Southeast Asia, the endless domestic support turned into

The American involvement in the Vietnam War created widespread division between the American people. There were many United States citizens who believed that the United States was involved in the Vietnam struggle for the right reasons, in order to prevent communism from taking over South Vietnam. There were also other citizens who believed that the United States was involved over there for the wrong reasons, due to the feeling that it was none of our business, and that it was considered another form of American imperialism. These same differing opinions were also seen in various songs written during the war years. During the sixties, songwriters, composers and musicians were all involved in lending their talents towards either support of

According to Young (1995), the American anti-war movement helped cause the United States to lose the Vietnam War. Young (1995) also supports this by stating that “America lost because of its democracy.” A main reason behind the war’s unpopularity is that it was the first uncensored war and was covered by the media. At first the American public was split over the war, but eventually shifted to disapproval. The media showed violent images and the use of napalm which was not liked at all. The Pentagon Papers were also used by the media to prove that the government was lying to the public about the war. Trust in the government decreased even more when Nixon resigned due to the Watergate Scandal and according to Young (1995), Nixon’s resignation assured the North Vietnamese that they would win the Vietnam War.