Thursday, November 4, 2010

Topic 2

When people hear the word America they think of our major cities and our thriving economy. Vietnam was the United States testing ground to show there brute strength to the rest of the world. That this single nation can be overwhelmed and made to be capitalist by destroying everything. Even after the Vietnamese seemed unwilling to change and we had no idea who we were fighting on the battle front the United States kept their military presence for their images sack that they could not defeat these savages as they portrayed them. The United States made its policy based on image and military strength. From Hearts and Minds there is a scene where a Vietnam veteran is speaking to elementary school students. When asked how did Vietnam look he responded, " It's a beautiful place but its people our ugly savages." This statement in itself shows how ther Army had brainwashed its soldiers to see these Vietnamese as animals and killing them really had no backlash to life.

3 comments:

  1. Who directed Hearts and Minds?
    I dont really understand the point you are trying to make, mostly because you seem to talk about a lot of things.
    Insted of bunching your two ideas together be a bit more detailed.
    What did the U.S. do to make the Vietnamese capitalist and how did they brainwash soilders into thinking that the Vietnamese where savages and animals?
    Give more examples!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Ivette is right: you've introduced two possible ideologies here: capitalism and racism. You could argue that the war was driven by both: if so, you want to make it clear that that's what you are doing.

    The last part of your last sentence seems to be saying something interesting but it's unclear right now - "killing them really had no backlash to life" - have another look.

    ReplyDelete