"The Vietnam Wars: 1945-1990"

Paper Summary:

In 1991, Marilyn Young authored "The Vietnam Wars: 1945-1990". Although the book is considered a general history book on the theme of Vietnam War, it has a major slant and is not an unbiased, objective approach to the war by any means. This paper shows that, in short, the book debunks the belief by those in power at the time, such as George Bush, Sr., that America has finally kicked the 'Vietnam syndrome" or that the United States does all that it can not to get militarily involved with other political entities abroad. The paper explains that, by showing both the American and the Indochina sides of this military event, Young expresses that the war in Vietnam and other such activities contested the black-and-white conjectures that, in foreign policy, America always "meant well" and that Communism was always "bad."

From the Paper:

"She concludes that perhaps it is time to redefine the Vietnam syndrome. The term should no longer refer to the reluctance of the public to engage in war, but rather to the insistence of the present administration that the only cure for that long ago defeat is more war. As President Bush said in a December 2002 U.S. News & World Report interview: " ... it's very important for the American people to know my sentiments about military engagement, that I will use our military as a last resort and our first resort.... ""

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• Cause and Effect Essay # 106855 : "WWI and the Vietnam Wars"
• Book Review # 142157 : "The Vietnam War On Trial": Book Review"
• Book Review # 46102 : "The U.S. Economy and the Vietnam War"

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