History Repeats Itself

Tiffany Le

ASA 02 A02

Blog #5

18 October 2015

Reading: “From Saigon to Baghdad: The Vietnam Syndrome, the Iraq War and American Foreign Policy”

With the enormous amount of United States resources--billions of dollars, 58 thousand lost lives, weapons of war-- spent on the Vietnam war, the American people became disenchanted about US military involvement in foreign policy. The Red Scare and containment theory thrusted America into war with Vietnam. Not only did the war affect the US, but also countries in Southeast Asia. I disagree with the US ideology of policing other countries and US exceptionalism because of the destruction that the wars leave behind. America’s lack of preventative and mental health services for veterans and refugees results in PTSD and trauma demonstrating that the US doesn’t value the reintegration of these people. In addition, I found the government’s attempts of erasing and reshaping collective memory of the war detestable. In order to proceed with future foreign policy and maintain public support, the US manipulates the people’s perception of the war and the consequences. This reminds me of the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong and the Chinese government’s attempts to establish “national education”. With the Iraq conflict, similarities arose with media presentation of the war and the erasure of history (Bush administration and 9/11), which highlights the hegemonic control of the US government over its people. Still, the consequences of the Vietnam war linger. How is the idea of US exceptionalism perpetuated?