Times of Change, Final Readings

For those whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans' memorial, all I can say is thank you. Thank you for giving your lives for the cause of freedom, whether you believed in what you were fighting for, or not.

Times of Change Readings 6-8

All the pieces try to convey that the war was having a negative impact on the people of Vietnam. The impact of the war could eventually include a communist takeover of Vietnam, which would hurt everyone in Vietnam.

Times of Change Readings 4-5

Jack Smith

Jack faces:
Fear
Constant violence
Ruthless enemies
Boredom
Injuries
the realities of war
the deaths of his friends

His view of war changes from a vision of adventure, almost a game, to a more realistic view, seeing the carnage that ensues.

I feel like I'm Fixing to die rag

Big Strong Men: Enlist in the army
Generals: Blow up the communists
Wall Street: Invest in the War
Mothers: Send your sons to Vietnam

And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
There's plenty good money to be made by supplying the Army with the tools of the trade
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb, they drop it on the Viet Cong
Be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box

Times of Change Readings 1-3

A Dubious Crusade

Dubious - giving rise to uncertainty as of doubtful promise or outcome.
Crusade - A series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end.

Warren is saying that the Vietnam War was a conflict whose causes, as well as whose goals, were uncertain. It could relate to how in the mid-70's America was beginning to lose faith quickly in the national government following Vietnam and Watergate.

History

The main idea is that the history of Vietnam is one of a lot of violence.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

The main thesis of the essay is that the entire Vietnam War was built on a lie.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a resolution passed overwhemingly by Congress authorizing president Johnson to take action in Vietnam.
He uses the testimony of William Fulbright as evidence.
This essay also states that the causes of the war were very uncertain.

Korea

In 1945, Soviet troops took over Korea north of the 38th parallel, establishing a communist government. Meanwhile, a democracy was set up in the south.

The conflict started when North Korean troops invaded the South in the summer of 1950, pushing Southern forces almost all the way back to Pusan in the Southeast.

16 nations provided troops to try and free the South and halt communist advances.

The war was a test of the Truman Doctrine, and the US containment strategy.

The US provided much of the UN force and did most of the fighting.

The US forces were led by General Douglas MacArthur, a WW2 hero.

MacArthur employed a dangerous plan, landing his troops at Inchon not far from the 38th parallel. It succeeded, forcing communist forces back.

MacArthur got permission from Truman to pursue communist forces into the North, in the hopes of reuniting Korea. They moved aggresively towards the Yalu River.

The Chinese however, were worried about their own security, so they invaded across the Yalu River and entered Korea, pushing UN forces back.

The war ended in a virtual stalemate near the 38th parallel.

Has MLK's dream been realized?

The statistics seem to show a good amount of upward mobility for African Americans in general. Since 1980, the median income for African American households has gone up nearly $7000, accounting for inflation, more than any other group. The median family income has gone up almost $8000, an increase of 20-30%.

However, despite this progress, African Americans still have a median income considerably lower than other groups. White families make $21000 more, while Asian/Pacific familes make $29000 more.

I do not believe that this gap is caused by racism. I believe a major part of this problem is the inefficiency of public schools, which many African American children depend on for their education. To solve this problem requires reforms in public schools, such as reducing the grasp teachers' unions have, and promoting more competition between schools.

Martin Luther King's Dream

The author says that whites owe King the greatest debt because he freed them from bigotry and hypocrisy going back hundreds of years. He was the right man because he culminated centuries of efforts by African Americans to gain equality. He used Biblical references and was committed to non-violence. The author says he would not endorse the use of his famous words because they're taken out of context.