The Vietnam War On Terror Essay - 1837 Words

With over 58,000 American lives and over a million Vietnamese lives lost and $5 billion spent, the Vietnam War (1964-1971) was America’s longest, least popular and one of its most expensive wars. With that said, it did provide valuable lessons going forward, lessons still relevant to today. Especially with the rise of Islamic extremism and subsequent ‘war on terror’, lessons like the value of understanding local culture, being aware of long and short-term goals together, as well as having accurate and reliable intelligence, play a huge role and remain as pertinent and important as they did in Saigon over 40 years ago. The continued relevance of these lessons can be proven in their value in assessing the actions of the United States in the 2003 war in Iraq, 30 years from their initial conception. The US initially viewed the Vietnam War simply as a testing ground for the new ‘flexible response’ policy of dealing with international aggression. However as the war progressed it quickly became evident that the war would become a serious problem for the existing and future US administration. The war was not, by any means, a victory for the United States and did not accomplish any of the goals set like deterring future aggressions, enhancing US credibility or ‘saving’ Vietnam. The most significant lesson from the war was that the United States should not have attempted to accomplish global containment of communism. The United States mainly entered the war in order to thwartShow MoreRelatedThe Vietnam War and the War on Terror1833 Words   |  7 Pageswell with the president and their co-legislators during such circumstances. This phenomenon was observed in the early stages of the War on Terror following the events of September 11, 2001 as well as during the Vietnam War. In this research paper several factors will be considered in comparing the powers of the presidency and Congressional powers during the two wars named, ranging from the presidents during each, to public opinion, as well as the change in each of these aspects over time. One mustRead MoreThe Justification Of War And The Vietnam War792 Words   |  4 PagesJustification of War War has been a part of the United States for over one hundred year’s beginning with World War I. The United States citizens have been engrossed in the thought, â€Å"Is war justified?† The two war that are being focused on in this paper are The Afghanistan War and the Vietnam War. It both wars could have had a peaceful protest to overcome the conflict at hand or have a meeting to talk about communism in the Vietnam War or Terrorism in the Afghan War. The right time for war is a fine lineRead MoreThe Vietnam War Was Devastating Time For Not Just America1271 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War was devastating time for not just America, but worldwide. This War lead to 1 million, four hundred and fifty thousand casualties from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. This devastating number only increased when you also take into account the other side, the Americans, with more than 50,000 casualties. One may argue that a major reason the Vietnam War occurred was due to the disagreem ent between the Soviet Reds and the Great Uncle Sam after World War 2. The Reds wanted to spread communismRead MoreTerrorism During The Vietnam War826 Words   |  4 Pagesthreats. Throughout Vietnam’s long history, there have been many cases of terrorism. During the Vietnam War, the US and other western nations committed many atrocious acts of terror against the Vietnamese population. In 1968, one of the worst acts of terrorism, the My Lai Massacre, occurred in Vietnam. This atrocious act was committed by the US. According to one American soldier during the Vietnam War, â€Å"In the ambushes we killed anything or anybody and a lot of those were VC.† The soldier continuedRead MoreThe Article Terror Of Little Saigon By A.c. Thompson934 Words   |  4 PagesThe article â€Å"Terror in Little Saigon† written by A.C. Thompson, who works with the media ProPublica and Frontline from PBS television system in two years to implement the report about the assassinatio n of journalist of Vietnamese origin in the US. The article is very popular on ProPublica because many Vietnamese want to know the truth from â€Å"Terror in Little Saigon†, and they hope that they can get more information from ProPublica as well as comment their thought about â€Å"Terror in Little Saigon†.Read MoreCore Values And The War On Terror1749 Words   |  7 Pages Core Values and the War on Terror As I think back to the many military leaders who have taken the world stage. Not many leaders standout that have inspired or influence soldiers. Many have tried to put an end to the war on terror but have failed. The face of terror was first Al Qaeda when Osama bin Laden was relevant. Now the face on terror has a new name it s called ISIS. Everyone who was old enough to remember remembers exactly where he or she was when the two planes hit the twin towers in NewRead MorePtsd, The Price Of Freedom785 Words   |  4 Pagessounds, and terror of combat. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects thousands of American veterans each year. Is PTSD simply a weakness, or is it an epidemic? Though historically, the validity of PTSD has been argued, the pain is real, and there is a diagnosis to prove it. Combat-related PTSD stems from witnessing the suffering and death of others, and the exposure of destruction, personal danger, and injury. Heightened risk may also result from a soldier’s specific role in war. One studyRead MoreSocial Commentary On Hollywood War Films1282 Words   |  6 PagesHIST2033-001 10 November 2015 Social Commentary in Hollywood War Films Hollywood film is a powerful twentieth century art form that has provided entertainment and social commentary since its creation. Film can be used to portray history on the silver screen. Directors can use their films to portray social commentary about current issues. A popular social issue throughout history is war. Directors can use their war films to promote pro-war or anti-war movements. Films have the ability to influence the publicRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Night By Elie Wiesel1017 Words   |  5 Pagesand when war occurs people tend to take on more responsibility than ever before. The United States is a prime example of making the world’s problems their own. When problems arise people step up and take responsibility. Like in the quote from Elie Wiesel, human suffering really is everyone’s problem. In war and times of conflict, America has intervened because they believe that it is their problem to try and solve. This is evident through speeches in World War I, propaganda in World War II, lettersRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )783 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom bears a heavy price. Many soldiers pay with their lives, while others relive the sights, sounds, and terror of combat. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects thousands of American veterans and their families each year. Is PTSD simply a weakness, or is it an epidemic? Though historically, the validity of PTSD was argued, the pain is real, and there is a diagnosis to prove it. Combat-related PTSD stems from witnessing the suffering and death of others, and the exposure of destruction