American Sentiments Towards Vietnam
By Darby H.
http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2012/07/12/losing-battle-for-the-living-room-but-winning-the-war/
During WWII Americans were proud of every man and woman who fought or helped in the war or war efforts. They were shamed if they did not help. This was not the case during the Vietnam War. Vietnam became America’s first “living-room war”, meaning it was the first war that the American people could receive live updates and watch live-action war footage on their televisions. It was similar to being able to experience the war first-hand. When Americans were able to view this, it revealed the government’s positive war messages to be travesties. People were horrified at what they were seeing. Until this point, no one knew what soldiers had experienced. This war had the nation divided not only political beliefs, but by race, and class too. Wealthier young men who were in college were able to avoid the draft. . Men found other ways to avoid the draft, there were what seemed like endless violent and non-violent protests against this, riots, and political unrest. There was also an unfair percentage of American-American men in combat, who counted for more than 20% of total deaths, even though they made up 10% or less of the U.S. population.
Vietnam was also the first war in which the U.S. had not succeeded, despite positive war slogans and pro-Vietnam propaganda. So many negative facts about Vietnam were hidden from the American people. that when these "secrets" were discovered and many people though the American government to be deceitful and untrustworthy, continuing political and social unrest. So many lives were wasted, so much money was put into the war effort, and the country was divided, and in turn, it left a bitter taste in the mouth of the American people. This only furthered the negative stigmas associated with communism. To this day, Vietnam is thought of (and it was) as very sad, tragic, negative affair.
Vietnam was also the first war in which the U.S. had not succeeded, despite positive war slogans and pro-Vietnam propaganda. So many negative facts about Vietnam were hidden from the American people. that when these "secrets" were discovered and many people though the American government to be deceitful and untrustworthy, continuing political and social unrest. So many lives were wasted, so much money was put into the war effort, and the country was divided, and in turn, it left a bitter taste in the mouth of the American people. This only furthered the negative stigmas associated with communism. To this day, Vietnam is thought of (and it was) as very sad, tragic, negative affair.