The Vietnam War Was A Brutal Conflict - 1666 Words

The Vietnam War was a brutal internal conflict between North and South Vietnam over the North s attempt to spread communism. Taking place between 1961 and 1975, it became America s second longest war. This battle destroyed countless villages, farmlands, forests, and neighboring countries of Vietnam. It took the lives of about two million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians, and over fifty-eight thousand American soldiers. In an effort to cease the spread of communism, many American troops were sent over by President John F. Kennedy to aid the South Vietnamese army. The U.S. provided South Vietnam and neighboring Southeast Asian countries with military supplies, combat troops, and economic aid. The controversy of U.S. participation in†¦show more content†¦This war was becoming less about Vietnam, and more about American honor. Consequently, time and lives were being taken away because America wanted to do the right thing. During this era, drafting was crucial. A total of 648,500 of men were drafted into the Vietnam War. Most soldiers who were drafted came from unwealthy, working-class families and only had a high school education. According to Christian Appy in Working-Class War, most of the Americans who fought in Vietnam were powerless, working-class teenagers sent to fight an undeclared war by presidents for whom they were not even eligible to vote (Draft). Their opportunities to improve themselves and their lifestyles were thrown out the window because of the draft. Families struggled emotionally as their loved ones were being taken away from them. They were sending their husbands, sons, and brothers to fight for a war that was not theirs to fight. It was said that the South Vietnamese army was not effective as U.S. troops. Veteran Lieutenant Federick Downs Jr. stated, He had faith that his country could win the war, but he found the South Vietnamese army to be lazy and ineffective. Maybe the people in Nam are worth saving, but their army isn t worth shit, he wrote in his memoir (Roark 861). This made it harder for people to support the war. How could they send their men to help a country that could not help themselves? Even with the amount of aid provided by the States, there was still no progressShow MoreRelatedHow Do Foreign Affairs During Vietnam Justify Public Or Private Tactical Behavior?1633 Words   |  7 Pagesquestion: To what degree is torture valuable? How do foreign affairs in Vietnam justify public or private tactical behavior. T.S. Eliot: â€Å"There is no such thing as a Lost Cause, because there is no such thing as a Gained Cause.† Growth and power come paired with conflict and danger. The United States must use interrogation to ensure the safety of its citizens. A history of torture to get information is prominent between many nations, however the use of such interrogation is often kept private fromRead MoreThe Vietnam War1737 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of the Vietnam War, was to end the awful spread of communism. As Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam’s communist president) fought to which spread North Vietnam’s political uses to Southern Vietnam. With this, the American Military Advisors sought to believe that a fall of Southern Vietnam to communist hands, would then lead to a total takeover of neighboring nations to fall under communism. The effect of the neighboring nations falling, was known as the â€Å"Domino Effect†. It all began when TheRead MoreThe Cold War Times : A Theory Of Containment1073 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion 1: During cold war times, the US’ had a theory of containment. Containment made to stop the spread of communism, because it was thought that if the US could not stop communist countries than it could work on stopping communism from spreading. In 1954, Vietnam was able to become independent from France. The country was divided along the 17th parallel, and North Vietnam and South Vietnam were created. Ho Chi Minh led North Vietnam and it had a communistic government, which was supported by ChinaRead MoreWhy the Vietnam War Should Not Have Happened951 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War As seen in Hearts and Minds The documentary film, Hearts and Minds, by Peter Davis; illustrates the brutal nature and different perspectives of the people involved in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War is considered as one of the longest and horrific wars in American history. American soldiers involved in the War have diverse reactions of their experiences and encounters during the war. The Vietnamese believed that, â€Å"Americans were evil and the Vietnamese simply were fighting merelyRead MoreHaunted America by Patricia Nelson1324 Words   |  5 Pagesof the White/Modoc war in â€Å"Haunted America,† she brings to light the complexity and confusion of the White/Indian conflicts that is often missing in much of the history we read. Her account of the war, with the faults of both Whites and Indians revealed, is an unusual alternative to the stereotypical â€Å"Whites were good; Indians were bad† or the reverse stand point that â€Å"Indians were good; Whites were bad† conclusions that ma ny historians reach. Limerick argues that a very brutal and bloody era hasRead MoreAmerica s Involvement Of The Vietnam War1008 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Why? Why was America involved in such brutal war to stop a brand new country from forming? Shouldn t we support that because that s what happened to us.† That was my very first question when my grandfather first told me about the most brutal and longest wars America has ever been in, the Vietnam War. America’s involvement in the conflict was to stop the evil and corrupt system of Communism. French forces were dead meat unless America teamed up with them. Unfortunately, this didn t stop the nonmoralRead MoreThe Vietnam War, American Men And Women Soldiers1368 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Vietnam War, American men and women soldiers, the majority of whom had volunteered, were sent to a place where nothing was accommodating. Not even the soldier’s issued equipment was adequate or accommodating. They were no t emotionally, psychologically, or materially equipped for what they would encounter in Vietnam, or upon their return to a place where they should have been safe; home. The Vietnam environment was nasty, brutish, and dehumanizing on the soldiers. Young men and women, mostlyRead MoreThe Vietnam War : A Very Interesting Topic1188 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnam War is a very interesting topic. Even today, it’s legacy still goes on. The Vietnam War has greatly impacted not only Vietnam, but also the rest of the world — the West in particular. The reason for conflict in Vietnam could be described as â€Å"the straw that broke the camel’s back†. Since the late 19th century, French had been colonizing Vietnam as part of their quest to take over Indochina for its vast amount of resources. Following World War I, a group of Vietnam nationalists gatheredRead MoreWhy Are Personal Interviews Important?905 Words   |  4 Pagesinterviewed was James Oggenfuss (Father), who spoke with the author regarding his uncle (Dave Smith) who served three tours in Vietnam from 1967-1971, next was Margie Riddle (Aunt) who was attending William Paterson University during the year in question, and finally with Marcy Oggenfuss (Grandmother) who was an average middle class mother during this time. These subjects spoke with the interviewer at length regarding a few very important issues that were taking place in during 1968: first was the VietnamRead MoreDecolonization and Influence of the Cold War Essay1384 Words   |  6 PagesInfl uence of the Cold War The decades following World War II were all centered on the concept of decolonization, the dismantlement of Imperial empires established prior to World War I throughout Africa and Asia. Due to the aftermath of World War II, countries around the world experienced massive independent movements whose objective was to eliminate colonization and form new independent nations. The process of decolonization was separated by three different approaches: civil war, negotiated independence

Is It Even Possible - 998 Words

Is It Even Possible? Everyone is gone; nobody is to be found at all. The only thing left is the sounds of Mother Nature. This is what may happen to the human race if action is not taken. Many viewpoints are taken that the problem could be climate change, future technology, or a movement that is just killing off people. I think the human race is doomed because we do not realize the damage we are doing to ourselves until it is too late. The sources I have chosen have compelling information that brings forth different viewpoints to the effects of our humanity. A professor of philosophy at Oxford named Nick Bostrom predicts that people do not understand how we are going to destroy ourselves (Bostrom, 1). Bostrom has written many papers of human extinction saying that the future technology is the problem that will continue to grow in numbers with potency in the next century. Josh Clark wrote the article that describes how important Biodiversity is. The point that he makes tells that everything on this earth f rom the smallest micro organism to humans have an important part that makes the earth run smoothly (Clark, 2). Without these main factors of the earth, we would not make it as far as we do. Joe Welkie wrote about how 10 theories on how the human race will go extinct soon. He tells about the future technology including the DNA Strands, Overpopulation, black holes and possibly a nuclear war. Welkie is a writer on the team called ViralNova, that specializes tell aShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"the Best of Humanity Is Possible Even in the Most Trying of Circumstances.†772 Words   |  4 PagesEssay â€Å"The best of humanity is possible even in the most trying of circumstances.† For the novel study, I read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which is a holocaust based novel written by John Boyne. I believe that the statement above means many things, but I think that mostly it means that some people no matter what the situation still find time for others, and that it wouldn’t matter what race or religion they were. The first person I believe supports this statement is a character who isn’tRead MorePassionately In-Love Even After All These Years? It’s Possible806 Words   |  4 PagesPassionately In-Love Even After All These Years? It’s Possible Its easy enough to promise a lifetime commitment with someone. But keeping at it is almost something that is easier said than done. With temptations and issues of indifference lurking around in every corner, it is just utterly impossible to stay head-over-heels in love. This is in spite of every good reason you fell in love in the first place. Its a bitter truth that every relationship--old and new, must acknowledge. The nightmare ofRead MorePhysics Of The Impossible By. Kaku1468 Words   |  6 PagesThis means those things that people even could not imagine about 150 years ago, have come into reality today. And the things that we cannot even imagine today, can come into existence in near future. This is all about science and technology. Many impossible things happen in the world with the advancement of science and technology. For example, kelvin, one of the greatest scientist of nineteenth century declared that â€Å"heavier than air† devices are not possible. Similarly, Einstein predicted that blackRead More The Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy1462 Words   |  6 Pagesup the question of how one can even know truth. For Descartes, the certain truth is â€Å"I think, therefore I a m,† which is his first principle. However, even if this is a certain truth, how can we know anything else to be true? More importantly, however, the first rule states that nothing should be accepted that can be called into doubt, or to accept only that which is indubitable. Yet how can anything be indubitable, save perhaps Descartes’ first principle, and even there some may be able to findRead More How The Brain Works Essay1307 Words   |  6 Pageskey to understanding how the brain works as a complete unit. Understanding the brain at the nerve cell level will allow scientists to understand how human consciousness works (Blakeslee, 1992). Furthermore, the brains thalamus is identified as the possible sensory connector because it fires 40 impulses per second that sweep through the entire brain (Blakeslee, 1995a). These findings are a serious implication to Dualism because it states the mind is not physical. If the mind is not physical, it cannotRead MoreThe Advantage s of the New Media Technologies Essay612 Words   |  3 Pagesreleased is then re-released but in a smaller version. One good example of this is the iPod. Although there original iPod was a huge seller, selling 4.5 million in just 3 months, Apple then decided to release the ‘iPod mini’. Even though it was only possible to fit 1000 songs on the iPod mini it was still one of the most anticipated new technologies of last year. They are now taking it to another level where Apple is planning to release the ‘iPod shuffle’ which is only 3 inchesRead MoreScience Fiction Film Genre Analysis Paper1450 Words   |  6 Pagesacademic website called WordIQ. This definition is very interesting. It is sometimes ambiguous as to whether the definition is written for literature or film, but this is obviously written for our purpose, the film genre. This definition acknowledges that even though the genre is science fiction, the science is very often the fiction. I’ve seen countless sci-fi films that were premised on a new technology or futuristic technology that many times defies current laws of physics or simply put, is impossibleRead MorePersonal Reflection on Age of Aids by Frontline961 Words   |  4 Pageswould help in finding the origins of the disease. Evaluating preventive and therapeutic measures, in this case the drug â€Å"AZT† was monitored and after sometime was found ineffective, because the HIV virus had formed immunity to this drug. This was possible to know in short span of time due to accumulation of data from all the test cases and assessing them regularly. One other important objective of epidemiology was indirectly explained, the objective of providing foundation for developing public policyRead MoreHumans and the Ability to Dream?1002 Words   |  4 Pagesis possible, and say, â€Å"What if this can be true?† This ability to dream has brought us the airplane, the computer, and has put a man on the moon. At a young age, children are taught that if you can dream it, you can do it, and this list of accomplishments seems to prove that. For hundreds of years, however, humans have dreamed of time travel, yet we seem to be no closer to that feat than when we started dreaming about it. This leads scientists and civilians alike to ask, â€Å"Is time travel even possibleRead MoreThe Problem Of Extreme Consumerism926 Words   |  4 Pagesconsumption of goods and services. Every day, all over the world, there is an extreme amount of consumerism, but why exactly? What are the possible causes of extreme consumerism? Some of the few possible causes contributing to mass consumerism would include: the want for consumption, the need for consumption, and possibly even hoarders. Although many of the possible causes listed above tie together, it’s quite interesting exploring these causes of extreme consumerism and being able to shine a small light

Schindlers List and The Killing Fields Essay Example For Students

Schindlers List and The Killing Fields Essay After having been assigned to watch the movies, Schindlers List and The Killing Fields, I regard it more of a life lesson rather than a school assignment. Schindlers List chronicles the story of a German industrialist who managed to rescue over 1,000 Jewish people, upheld by a sudden change of heart due to eye opening realities about the liquidation of Jewish communities. Although there were inaccuracies rooted within the film, I believe that the film encapsulated the truth of the story quite authentically. Similarly, The Killing Fields is a strong indictment of modern war overall and the American conduct of the war in Cambodia in particular, but its great strength descends from secondary themes of the power of friendship and the importance of a will to survive. I remember the first genocidal movie Ive ever watched in my life was The Killing Fields, and Id initially seen it when I was younger. I was seven years old, and although it seems like it was ages ago with distorted memories, I recollect feeling emotionally stunted for the next couple of weeks that followed. I vaguely call to mind the fact that the Khmer Rouge actually captured and retained possession of not only the specific ethnic populations of Cambodia, but also anyone who had the misfortune of living in the US-backed government zone, as depicted in the film as well as discussed in the article titled, Why is the Twentieth Century the Century of Genocide, that I had read. Given the films exploration of genocide and the underlying themes of political corruption and violence, my parents never really sheltered me (which was not a bad thing, in my perspective). Id learned a lot about things that children at that age shouldnt have even heard about, but I guess my parents approach to my upbringing was beneficial, because Im able to absorb things and expect things, and I guess my vision was clarified at a young age because I knew the world wasnt the golden place that society tries to paint in the minds of children. But enough of my childhood – I watched The Killing Fields a second time recently, and it was different than the way I remembered it. As a young girl, my focus honed in on the violence and the bloodshed, because thats what stood out to me and thats what surprised me that, horrific atrocities like ones that the Khmer Rouge brought upon Vietnam. Now, having grown intellectually, I have recognized the intrinsic themes of family, politics, race, culture, religion, and other questions of ethics. It encompassed all perspectives and made me see the humanity. I think this is a rare piece of work in that it didnt relinquish its hold on me right after it ended. Its the type of movie that kind of just sticks with you because of its poignancy. Sometimes, its difficult to distinguish between the artistry of the movie and the realities of the story, but I feel its significant in both respects. Its a terribly beautiful movie and its haunting and mesmerizing and deserves all the awards it won.

Macbeth - Supernatural Forces In Macbeth Essays -

Macbeth - Supernatural Forces In Macbeth In the play Macbeth, there were many interesting sections which could be concentrated on due to the suspense and the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the witches, the visions, the ghost, and the apparitions is a key element in making the concept of the play work and in making the play interesting. Looking through each Act and Scene of the play, it is noticed that the supernatural is definitely a major factor on the play's style. The use of the supernatural occurs at the beginning of the play, with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. This gives the audience a clue to what the future holds for Macbeth. When the battles lost and won (Act I, Scene I, l.4) was said by the second witch. It says that every battle is lost by one side and won by another. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle, but will lose his time of victory for the battle of his soul. After the prophecies of the witches' revealed the fate of Macbeth, the plan in which to gain power of the throne is brought up. The only way to gain power of the throne was for Macbeth to work his way to the throne, or to murder King Duncan. Murdering the king was an easier plan since the motivation in his dreams urged him on. Lady Macbeth also relied on the supernatural by her soliloquy of calling upon the evil spirits to give her the power to plot the murder of Duncan without any remorse or conscience (Act I, Scene V, ll.42-57). The three sisters are capable of leading people into danger resulting in death, such as the sailor who never slept (Act I, Scene III, ll.1-37). Lady Macbeth has convinced her husband Macbeth to murder King Duncan. On the night they planned to kill Duncan, Macbeth is waiting for Lady Macbeth to ring the signal bell to go up the stairs to Duncan's chamber. He sees the vision of the floating dagger. The interest of the dagger is that it leads Macbeth towards the chamber by the presence of evil of the dagger being covered with blood. Then the bell rings and Macbeth stealthily proceeds up the staircase to Duncan's chamber. Once the murder has been committed, eventually Banquo has his suspicions about Macbeth killing Duncan to have power of the throne. There is constantly more guilt and fear inside Macbeth and his wife that they decide to have Banquo killed. Macbeth and his wife attend a banquet in which a ghost appears. Once the murderer notified Macbeth that the deed was done, he observed the ghost of Banquo sitting in his regular seat. This caused Macbeth to act in a wild manner, making people suspicious of his actions. (Act III, Scene VI, ll.31-120). The use of the supernatural has increased the suspense now that Macbeth is constantly relying on the prophecies of the three witches. Hecate, the Queen of witches is angry with the three sisters for not involving her in their encounters with Macbeth. The witches plan to lead Macbeth to his downfall by making him feel over-confident. (Act III, Scene V, ll.1-35). Further on in the play, Macbeth finds his way to the witches' cave and demands to know what lies ahead for him. The three witches predict what he is going to ask and produce the first apparition which is an armed head. Macbeth!, Macbeth!, Macbeth!, beware of Macduff; beware thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough. (Act VI, Scene I, ll.77-78). The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff. Then the second apparition appears (a bloody child), and says: Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. (Act IV, Scene I, ll.85-87). This apparition informs Macbeth that no man born from a woman can harm him. finally, the last apparition appears and is a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. The apparition is saying that he will never be defeated until Great Birnam wood shall come against him to High Dunsinane Hill. Be lion melted, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where