Saturday, August 6, 2011

How should people who are against a war go about protesting it? Was the Vietnam war protested in an effective way?

I believe that the protesters were very effective whether
they presented a negative image about themselves or not. After all, they weren't
protesting for themselves.


Vietnam was described as the
first living-room war, in as much as the news could show action that happened only hours
previously, and there was virtually no censorship involved. One result of that was that
the war was not sanitized for the American public. But linked, I think, to this reality
was a realistic broadcast of the anti-war movement. The realistic portrayal of the dead
in Vietnam and the violence associated with the anti-war protests did not win any
supporters for the war. The protesters won no friends but I think it did raise the
conscientiousness level of the public. In this sense, it was a
success.


And yes, as an American citizen if you feel that a
war is going badly, and especially if the war is actually unjust (as so many thought
during Vietnam), you should have the right to voice that opinion. Protest to your
heart's content. But be prepared for the backlash.


A major
difference between Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan, and in my opinion a big difference, is
that most troops in Vietnam were drafted and had no legal choice, while our soldiers in
Iraq/Afghanistan are volunteers.


Bless the volunteer
army.

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