Tensions Between Vietnam and the United States

Tensions Between Vietnam and the UNited States

During 1964 to 1975, Vietnam started a war with the United States. These tensions are shown in 3 ways. Politically, the trust and credibility of the war and government was under question. Socially, as the war continued the public acknowledged their right to express their opinion to the government and country in many wars, such as riots. Economically, how the government was spending money and using the money ineffective towards the war. All together these tensions embarrassed the united states to a level that turned the nation.

The war in vietnam severely damaged the people’s trust in government’s intent. For years following, the military was deeply discredited and veterans were judged and shunned for participating in the war. Politically the nation was strong heading into the Vietnam war, with 85% of the public supporting the war. Then with its progression the support towards the war diciplated. Tensions grew enormously in the years to come with events such as the gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Pentagon papers, and War Powers Act. One of the major events in the escalation of the war was the gulf of tonkin resolution which shifted the control and decisive wa made by the congress to be controlled solely by Lyndon B. Johnson. This created opinions in the public towards the legitimacy of the government. Later on came the Pentagon Papers, a document that revealed that a succession of presidents from Truman to Nixon had been lying about intentions in Vietnam. This was smoking gun for activists which already had doubts about the credibility of the government. The approval rating the war after the pentagon paper and the tet offensive diminished to a mere 36% of the public. Effects of these events created protests of the war sush as the protest at Kent State which ended in the national guard coming in for croud control and to break up the protest but didn’t end that peacefully. By the end of the day on May 4, 1970 67 rounds were fired by the national guard leaving 4 dead and nine wounded. This was just the beginning to an already blood bath war.

Unfortunately the war socially was on the same path as politically. Lyndon B. Johnson betrayed the trust of the nation when he lied about his involvement in the gulf of Tonkin, on August 7th, 1964, saying that North Vietnam soldiers attacked American ships unprovoked. This provoked a restless youth and invited protests against his government. Many protested against the “recolonization” of Vietnam. The legal age of adulthood was changed from 21 to 18 in order to draft more soldiers.(26th Amendment) Muhammad Ali was quotes saying, “Ain’t no vietcong ever call me nigger,” embodying the sentiment of many African American’s and summarizing Adroitly the injustice of the drafts.

The American government spent $167 billion dollars on a war much of the country was against.