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Vietnam War Propaganda Analysis

Decent Essays

“General Butler lamented the use of propaganda in World War 1, and he pointed out how ‘beautiful ideals were painted for our boys who were sent out to die.’ ” (D6) It would be fair to apply General Butler’s argument about the use of propaganda in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. Propaganda can be used to influence people’s beliefs or ideas by making negative things appear to be positive. Not only is propaganda able to unite a nation during war time, it can also be used to undermine the morale of the enemy. Unfortunately, while propaganda can make things appear to be good the reality is often quite different. This can be demonstrated by examining World War 2 and the Vietnam War. General Smedley Butler was a highly decorated Major General in the Marine Corps who went on to become very critical of war after serving in WWI. He witnessed young boys eagerly signing up for the war with aspirations of being a celebrated war hero, but quickly becoming jaded once they realized the reality was far different than what they had been told. The Government used propaganda to reel in recruits by making war look exciting, promising medals and instant “hero” status. Essentially, war would be fun! Those who chose not to sign up were made to feel ashamed as though they were not fulfilling their duty as a good citizen. Unfortunately, reality was quite different and once these new recruits arrived on the front, they were greeted with swampy trenches, food rations, and the

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