The article revolves and
discusses about America in terms of the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. The
similarities and differences of America intervention in both wars have cause critical
examinations on how America has dealt with intervention and the political ties
within each country. In addition, the aftermaths behind the Vietnam War or the
Fall of Saigon in 1975 triggers a reality that America had indeed lost a war to
communism or specifically a Third World country that results in the statement
that America was losing power and hierarchy. What this proves was that America
was just as fallible as other countries at war. In the cases of America
intervention in wars of Vietnam and Iraq, the reason behind was the containment
theory or in other words, stopping the spread and influence of communism
because if one country were to fall under communism then all other countries will soon follow thus the
Domino Effect. What America also wanted to influence within the countries were
the way of the America life of liberty, individualism, popular sovereignty, and
equality of opportunity. These reasoning at most explain much of America's
participation and involvement within the two wars. Even though the wars played
out on a separate field amidst space, time, and geographic location, what was
clear was that these wars made evident that America itself has indeed fail to
follow through with its action plans as in the case of the Vietnam War- the
pulling out of troops out of Vietnam and leaving those who supported and fought
alongside them to fend for themselves against the Vietnamese communist party. I
think that even as the article presented its findings and evidence of the
Vietnam and Iraq War, America itself still denies of even losing the war
because America never loses.
Question: What does this
tells us about America and its policy in these areas? How much has changed? Or
has it changed?
Priest,
Andrew (2009) From Saigon to Baghdad: The Vietnam Syndrome, the Iraq War and
American
Foreign Policy, Intelligence and
National Security, 24:1, 139-171, DOI: 10.1080/02684520902757018
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