How the Vietnam war changed the u.s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How the Vietnam war changed the u.s - Essay Example They are of the view that it changed the manner in which the American society perceived their Constitutional rights, the media, as well as the government (Lawrence, 2008). While the War torn the country apart to some extent, it brought the country in a different and new ways. The controversial nature of the war spurred a huge many sources of protest, against how power is used by the government, how far could the freedom of expression be stretched, and mainly against the war itself (Franklin, 2000). In order to understand the effects of the Vietnam War in to the American society, this paper will discuss how the war changed the U.S. At the beginning of the Vietnam War, majority of the American public believed that the United States involvement in the war was justified. Most of the Americans supported the containment strategy as a way of protecting the interests of the United States (Nulty, 2007). They saw the need for thousands of the Americans to fight and protect their country. However, as the war progressed, Americans realized that the whole concept of the Vietnam War was flawed. As a result of this realization, there were demonstrations and protests across America against the war. The defeat of the United States in the war severely demoralized the American people. The citizens of America had liked to perceive themselves and their country as being invincible and therefore losing the war meant that their self confidence as well as pride would be lost (Hagopian, 2009). The war led to a reappraisal of America’s glory and power, as well as dampening the self confidence of the American people. It also led to economic woes and increased debts considering the huge amount of resources that was used in during the war. The eventualities of the war weakened the public support in the American government, as well as the competence and honesty of its leaders. A high degree of suspicion and skepticism were the main characterized