War is believed to provide little, if any, benefits. One thing is obvious however; war plays a major role in the creation of new tensions between the nations in the conflict. This was evident during the Mid-twentieth century. Majority of this time, the U.S. was in a war with Vietnam. The Vietnam war stated in 1955 after Eisenhower promised the leader of South Vietnam that the U.S. would protect them from Northern takeover. This promised only got stronger under the terms of Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Thousands of soldiers were sent to South Vietnam to fight against North Vietnamese troops. A draft was even created in 1969. The consequences of the Vietnam war reached the American shore and had much effect on the U.S. homefront. The Vietnam
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In total almost 3 millions Americans served in the Vietnam War and nearly 60,000 Americans were killed. The famous song, “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die,” was written by Country Joe and the Fish to describe the dangers that the American soldiers face in Vietnam (Doc B). This song is very anti-war and it reflects the sadness experienced by the families of the soldiers. With lyrics such as, “What are we fighting for,” and, “be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box” demonstrates the brutal conditions that the soldiers have to tolerate and how most end up dying. This increases social tensions within the U.S. as the families of the troops begin to worry. Tensions between the classes also existed during this time period. As described by Jame Fallows, (Doc F) those who were more wealthy and educated were less likely to be selected to go off to the war. The inequality of the draft caused resentment from the lower classes. Racial tensions had also increased during the Vietnam War. Martin Luther King realized that a large percent of the poor African Americans were sent off to war (Doc C). He talks about how Africans were being forced to fight for a nation which does not allow them to be free. Groups that were lower on the social tier felt resentment toward the higher classes and even the government. Issues of inequality within the daft and the high death tolls of American troops increased the tensions in the homefront during the Vietnam
In total almost 3 millions Americans served in the Vietnam War and nearly 60,000 Americans were killed. The famous song, “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die,” was written by Country Joe and the Fish to describe the dangers that the American soldiers face in Vietnam (Doc B). This song is very anti-war and it reflects the sadness experienced by the families of the soldiers. With lyrics such as, “What are we fighting for,” and, “be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box” demonstrates the brutal conditions that the soldiers have to tolerate and how most end up dying. This increases social tensions within the U.S. as the families of the troops begin to worry. Tensions between the classes also existed during this time period. As described by Jame Fallows, (Doc F) those who were more wealthy and educated were less likely to be selected to go off to the war. The inequality of the draft caused resentment from the lower classes. Racial tensions had also increased during the Vietnam War. Martin Luther King realized that a large percent of the poor African Americans were sent off to war (Doc C). He talks about how Africans were being forced to fight for a nation which does not allow them to be free. Groups that were lower on the social tier felt resentment toward the higher classes and even the government. Issues of inequality within the daft and the high death tolls of American troops increased the tensions in the homefront during the Vietnam