Vietnam War And The War On Terrorism example essay topic

Those would do not learn history, are doomed to repeat it. This saying can apply to the current events happening in the U.S. On Sept. 11 terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade buildings and the Pentagon killing thousands of innocent people. Since that day, the President of the United States, George W. Bush, has vowed to have justice against those responsible for the attacks.

The U.S. suspects that Osama bid Laden was the mastermind behind the terror. They believe that he is hiding in Afghanistan. The leaders of Afghanistan have refused to give him up and the US has commenced bombing the country in retaliation. President Bush has called the world to come together in a War against Terrorism.

The US government's actions in these events much parallel those that have happened in the Vietnam War. For example, during the Vietnam War, the US government felt they were stopping the spread of communism by going to war. Furthermore, the government started bombing North Vietnam after they thought there naval ships were being attacked. In reality, the US government had no proof that it was Vietnamese forces that attacked the ships. Likewise in the War against Terrorism, the US feels that by attacking Afghanistan, they are stopping the terrorists. Also, they have no solid proof that it was Osama bin Laden was the person behind the attacks, yet they retaliated anyways.

Moreover both wars include a great amount of hysteria and paranoia against the enemy. The Vietnam War caused a create hysteria against communists and the War on Terrorism has created a hysteria against people of Middle Eastern descent. Lastly, both wars include a great amount of propaganda that is used in order to fuel the aggression against the enemy. During the Vietnam War, people were led to believe that communists were evil and need to be destroyed. In the War against Terrorism, people are being led to believe that people of Middle Eastern descent are a threat to the free world. Therefore, the events that have occurred in the Vietnam War are now reoccurring in the War against Terrorism and history is repeating itself.

Both the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism have similar events taking place within the US government, which has led to the aggressive action against the enemy. For example, during the Vietnam War the government thought that it was their duty to stop the spread of communism in Asia. They believed that if Vietnam fell to communism, that the entire south-eastern part of Asia would follow. "Communism came to be seen as an infection to be quarantined rather than a force to be judiciously and appropriately balanced.

Vietnam, in particular, became the cockpit of confrontation". The US government felt that they were saving Vietnam and the rest of Asia from communist clutches. Therefore they thought they had the right to go in and aggressively attack South Vietnam. Even though in the war many innocent civilians were injured and killed, they still felt that they had the right to do this.

Also, because they thought communism in general was a threat to their way of life, they believed that this gave them the permission to engage in war. Furthermore, the war was triggered by what the American's perceived as a Vietnamese attack against their ships. "On Aug. 4, 1964, Lyndon Johnson announced that two U.S. destroyers had been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam... Johnson ordered immediate air strikes against North Vietnam.

He also asked Congress for power to take all necessary measures to repel any further acts of aggression (on the United States)". The U.S. attacked North Vietnam, but the attacks on the two U.S. destroyers by the Vietnamese were never proven. The captains of both ships were unclear whether nor not, it was an attack by the enemy, or just rough seas. But even without proof, the U.S. retaliated anyway. The government was looking for any kind of excuse to strike out against communism. This was a perfect opportunity for them to show the world that they won't let their way of life be threatened.

Similarly, in the War against Terrorism the U.S. feels that by bombing Afghanistan, they are doing their duty to control terrorists. In an interview with the Washington Post a White House official explained the details of President Bush's plan to eradicate terrorism. "We must eliminate the scourge of international terrorism. In order to do that, we need not only to eliminate the terrorists and their networks, but also those who harbour them. As the president said to Congress, either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists". The US feels that by bombing the places in the Middle East that are suspected of harbouring terrorists, they are protecting themselves and the rest of the world from terrorism.

The US government also feels that terrorism is a threat to their way of life and that this gives them the right to bomb other countries, even if it means killing many innocent civilians in the process. The bombings in the Middle East occurred after the attack on the World Trade Centre buildings. The US believes that Osama bin Laden was the mastermind behind the attacks and therefore are demanding he be released to them. The Toronto Star reported on Oct. 15, 2001, President Bush's demand to the leaders of Afghanistan to surrender bin Laden. "President Bush has rejected the latest request to negotiate the handover of bin Laden and to cease the bombing of Afghanistan. Bush told the press that there is nothing for him to negotiate".

The US has no solid proof that bin Laden is responsible for the attacks. However, they are bombing the Middle East anyway. The government is using the events of Sept. 11 to show the world that they will not have their way of life threatened, even though this means they are killing thousands of innocent civilians. Therefore, both Vietnam War and the War against Terrorism have similar events taking place within the government which led to the aggressive action against the enemy. Additionally, both the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism involve hysteria around the enemies of the United States.

For example during the Vietnam War, the United States made communism out to be a world evil that would only bring out chaos if it were not stopped. They believed that if communism was not brought down in Vietnam, it would decimate the country. The hysteria about communism ran so high in the United States that they would search the world over to find countries and individual people that might be linked to communism. Unfortunately, Americans wigged out completely over communism and started looking under every rock for a communist.

They went from a period of complete indifference and isolationism after WWII, to a period where everyone that didn't look and think the way they thought one should look and think was branded a communist threat... The hysteria was so wide spread that the very best way to win an election at this time was to be even more anti-communist that your opponent. This entire nation was is such an uproar over communism that they made it their business to find anything that might be considered a threat to their capitalist way of life. This is why they thought that it was essential to 'protect' the Vietnamese people against communism. The American people even based their political opinions on the candidate that was the most aggressive against communism. And if the candidate or current president wasn't aggressive enough against communism, it would cost him a lot of popularity.

For example this speech made my John F. Kennedy shows the hatred he endured when the people thought he wasn't being tough enough against communism. In 1965 I'll become one of the most unpopular presidents in history. I'll be damned everywhere as a Communist appeaser. But I don't care. If I tried to pull out now from Vietnam, we would have another Joe McCarthy red scare on our hands, but I can do it after I'm reelected. So we better make damned sure that I am reelected.

The people in the US thought President Kennedy wasn't supporting the war enough and therefore a lot of people hated him. In fact they were so against communism that it was thought that President Kennedy was assassinated because of his lack of aggression against communism. Similarly to the hysteria over communism and communists, today people have the same level of fear over potential terrorists. For example, since the attack on the World Trade Centre last September, there has been an outbreak of racism against people that are Muslim.

For example on Nov. 1, 2001 the Hamilton Spectator reported on a hate crime that occurred at Hamilton school. A 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy have been charged in connection with an attack on a fellow Ryerson Middle School student who arrived in Canada only seven weeks ago. The 13-year-old victim was attacked on his way to school. Police say that this is only one the many hate crimes to take place since the September 11th attacks. This incident shows the just how high the level of hysteria is against anyone who might have the potential to be a terrorist. In this case, just because the student was an immigrant, the young attackers assumed that he must be a threat and attacked him.

Just like with the hysteria against the communism, anyone who is seen as the enemy and must be destroyed. Likewise, in September the Toronto Star reported that a waitress in Georgia overheard three customers talking about what she thought was a terrorist plot. Three medical students of Middle Eastern descent were stopped as suspected terrorists early yesterday... after they were overheard vowing to make America mourn on 9/13. The men were detained for 17 hours yesterday before authorities said they were apparently kidding and release them.

This event also proves the hysteria involved around terrorism. If the men were any other descent but Middle Eastern, the waitress would not have thought they were planning any terrorist plots. But because there is such a negative image around Middle Eastern people since Sept. 11, she automatically assumed that they were terrorists. Therefore, in both the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism, their was a strong hysteria against the enemies of the United States. Also, during both the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism propaganda was used to fuel the aggression against the enemy and to place the blame on other countries.

For instance, during the Vietnam War there were debates about the war, but both sides would agree on the same thing. In an internet article, the debates are clearly outlined: In the mainstream media-the New York Times, CBS, and so on - there was a lively debate about the war. It was between people called the "doves" and "hawks". Both sides appeared to have different views, but underneath they were both essentially saying the U.S. has the right to carry out aggression against South Vietnam.

The American media was poisoning the America people to believe that they have the entitlement to go to war against communism. In order to gain support for the war, the media set up this kind of propaganda. They needed to brainwash the people into believing that was the US was doing was right. Therefore, they jumbled facts and told half-truths in order to achieve this. They wanted the people to believe that all communists and communist nations were a threat and therefore had to be brought down. Likewise with the propaganda against communism in the Vietnam, today there is a lot of propaganda against people of Middle Eastern descent.

Because the attacks of Sept. 11 were committed by Middle Eastern people, some people have been brainwashed to believe that this entire race of people is evil. For example, an article from the Nov. 5 2002 issue of the Hamilton Spectator clearly outlines that some parents have poisoned their children to believe that all Middle Eastern people are to be seen as the enemy. Just after the event in which two middle school children brutally assaulted a 13-year-old immigrant, this editorial appeared in the Spectator begging parents be aware of what they teach their children. Please do not poison your children, by telling them that their heritage is better than anyone else's.

While it is great to be proud of one's ancestry, pride should not go hand-in-hand with a sense of superiority. It should be understood that people of all cultures are equally proud of their past, but that does not translate to better or worse, just different... Mistrusting all people of Middle Eastern descent because of the terrorist attacks is akin to fearing all white people because of Charles Manson, John Gay and Jeffery Dahmer. Just like in Vietnam, people believe that everyone who is the same race as the enemy must be branded as immoral. In this case, parents have been propagandizing their offspring to believe that even children of Middle Eastern descent are to be distrusted. Even the media makes Middle Eastern people out to be evil.

Just after the Sept. 11 attacks, the television stations were plastered with the people of Afghanistan celebrating the deaths of Americans. While this was true, the media played it over and over again, and without explaining the politics behind why many Afghans feel so hostile against America. This led many people into thinking that all people of Afghan descent must be evil. Furthermore, propaganda does not just appear against races, but countries as well. For instance, on Nov. 1 2002, The Hamilton Spectator reported that American television host, Pat Buchanan, was laying claims that Canada is a nation full of terrorists.

"Buchanan claimed that Canada was a heaven for national terrorists and that Americans don't need lectures from "Soviet Canuckistan". This is just one example of the propaganda that spouts from the American media daily. In this case, there is no proof that Canada harboured any terrorists during the Sept. 11 attacks but Buchanan used this to place the blame on another country. Instead of America looking at its own actions that may have helped in causing the attacks, people like Buchanan just pass the blame to another country.

Now, most Americans that listened to his show, believe that Canada is partly to blame for the attacks. Therefore, both the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism contain propaganda that fuels hatred against the enemy and against other nations that don't give their full support to their cause. In conclusion, the events that have occurred in the Vietnam War are now reoccurring in the War against Terrorism, causing history to repeat itself. The US government actions in these events since Sept. 11 have paralleled those that have happened in the Vietnam War. For instance, during the Vietnam War, the US government felt they were stopping the spread of communism by using aggressive force against Vietnam.

Furthermore, the government started bombing North Vietnam in retaliation to an attack on their vessels, even though they had no proof it was North Vietnam that attacked them. Moreover, both wars include hysteria and paranoia against the enemy. The Vietnam War caused a mass hysteria against communists. Similarly, the War on Terrorism has created a panic against people of Middle Eastern descent. Lastly, both wars include a great amount of propaganda in order to promote hostility against the enemy. During the Vietnam War, people were led to believe that communists were immoral and need to be destroyed.

The US government obviously has not learned from their past mistakes in Vietnam and is doomed to repeat the same errors in the War against Terrorism.