How come no College students demonstrate against the war in Iraq like they did back in the 60s and 70s (Vietna

Question

Young men and women being killed everyday so where is the outrage?

Answer 1

There are probably many factors involved, but if I had to guess I would suggest the single greatest factor is the draft. During the Vietnam War, college students were finding themselves thrown into the front lines after graduation. School mates being involuntarily sent to a very nasty situation sparked an intense and personal involvement in the war. Today, there is no such involuntary service requirement and college students are not seeing their friends and family being forced to serve. Also, you have to remember there is a signficant difference in the casualty rate. During Vietnam, American servicemen were dying or being wounded at a rate of a thousand a month. The Iraq conflict in its near 5 year total hasn't even reached a 4 month Vietnam rate. Again, this is just a guess, but it seems reasonable.

This question has really got me thinking (Good Job asker!) and by the responses I see I am not the only one who is interested. I keep reading the posts and there is another factor that I think we can include - as a previous poster stated, "because we support the troops." I don't think this can be overlooked. As the years passed after Vietnam, American society in general has recognized just how atrocious they treated the returning veterans. It was disgraceful, and in a very broad stroke, it has become somewhat ingrained in the national psyche. It is felt that the blame rested with politicians or greedy corporations. This 'realization' has also placed a serious shadow of shame on Americans. A shame that the veterans were treated so poorly. I imagine the vast majority of the public, to include college campuses, have no intention of making the same mistakes or inflicting such a trauma on today's servicemen/women. It is quite possible that combined with other factors, the student movement today can't figure out how to "protest the war" and still "support the troops." In the public eye it seems hypocritical to do both, so instead of risking a backlash because they would be seen as insulting the service of those doing the fighting, it is safer to remain quiet. Just an additional thought...

Answer 2

I think this is a great question!

I am a Vietnam veteran (career did 2 1/2 tours) with the 101st Airborne, 196th LIB, etc.

First, if one wants to "protest" and it is one's right as an American, well we learned that the very vulgar and insulting "anti-war" protests during Vietnam were misguided.

Misguided by 1. radicals (outright commies and anarchists)
2. that the soldiers, sailors, airmen are not responsible for the war
3. that political change is the way to do things

I know some, many colleges have "forums", lecture programs on the "war, etc.

Yes, we have a few "anti-war' folks out there and they are overall, very peaceful and respectful.

We have fools, bastards like that religious nut from kansas who goes to military funerals and yells vulgar stuff to the families.

the other side: well "support the troops" which is actually more of a state of mind as what can most do/ I am retired so it is easy and my family does but for the average American?

The emotions in this issue are well out of hand anymore; I care less what most think about the "Dixie Chicks" it is their right to speak, I did buy my wife the last CD, guess what at the Fort Carson PX!

In other words, the Army and USAF sell the "Dixie Chicks" music:
freedom means that.

It is all about "honor" and truth: nasty protests are juvenile and vain, just my view.

Why cannot someone protest in front of the Iranian embassy?


Peace, at this time of year!
Joyeux Noel

See the DVD of this movie!

About the WWI Christmas Truce!

Powerful stuff!

Answer 3

It will come. In Vietnam the demonstrations took a long time to get moving too. At first noone would protest. Many more Americans were dying in Nam so the effects were more drastic but still it took years to get the movement flowing. At the moment it is building but at the start of the war there was so much support and hope that it will take time to erode and the truth to be exposed. Also I wonder if the lack of quaility artists has something to do with it. In the 60's and 70's the radio waves and record companies had more conscious artists selling music to match the pulse of the time. Now no artist is willing to risk being the victim of a witch hunt like the dixie chicks. Plus many of them don't think to much they just pose for the camera how they are told and sing music that is composed for them using the same three notes and a canned beat.

Answer 4

A couple of things come to mind: Iraq is a much smaller war with a volunteer army - no draft. And although Iraq was the wrong target (Afghanistan was the target), we were attacked on 9/11 and Americans, both liberal and conservative, see the emergence of Radical Islam as being a real threat. Vietnam was a battle of ideals, communism vs freedom and therefore had a different context. 9/11 changed everything.

And the support for the troops, from both sides of the aisle, is very strong.

Answer 5

Well, as many have said, there is no draft, so young people have no stake in it. There is another factor though, and that is the effectiveness of protesting. Hey, I love having the right to protest, but I find it hard to believe that Bush is gonna look out his window and say "Holy crap! Protestors against the war?! Maybe i've gone about this all wrong". The facts bear this out. Kids protested for 7 years about Vietnam, but we only pulled out when the majority finally called for it. Lawmakers will only be swayed by protests if they sense that they are a sign of the general feeling out there. Even then, most politicions just convince themselves that protestors are just a minority.

Answer 6

Part of it is scale (1000/yr KIA now vs 8000/yr KIA then), part of it is self interest, remember the draft lottery? But most important, college kids today want to graduate and get a job, not spend their time smoking dope, dropping cid and cutting classes (a certain percentage of demonstrators at any protest are just there for the party atmosphere). Very few of these college kids are headed to Iraq and those who are, do so voluntarily.

Answer 7

I have to agree with AVISHTEVI's answer,most College kids could care less about the ones who are serving in the military. They for the most part only care about themselves and their circle of friends. I say this because I see it every day. I have a son who is in College and my other son and daughter are both married to people in the Army. My oldest son"s wife is in Afghanistan and my daughters husband came back from Iraq a little over a year ago and is headed back in Jan. Him and his college friends never ask much about the others mostly because it doesn't play any part in their lives. College kids now are selfish and self centered and tend to look down on anyone who is not in College.

Answer 8

I read the various answers the others wrote and disagree with them all. It is simply a different generation, one that is far less connected to social issues. At best they'd sign a virtual petition online. No one can be bothered these days. It's all about getting that degree, landing that first job, the house, family, gizmos and summer holidays in Disney World. Where can you fit social unrest and protests into that? Answer, you can't. American ideology is all about the individual, the ego and the money. I'm sure that if they started enlisting young men and women into this war and the college kids on their way to a corporate job would feel this path threatened they would *then* take to the streets, maybe...

Answer 9

The conflict of the '60s and 70's substitute into very unpopular like this one....the antiwar protestors of that day have been protesting the very undeniable fact that the warriors and marines have been there by using fact they have been compelled by using draft...this conflict is all a volunteer protection rigidity...the undesirable undeniable fact that our sons and daughter are in harms way won't be able to be omitted, in spite of the undeniable fact that they joined the protection rigidity by using decision..for protestors to submit one in each and every of those instruct of protest could pass against what our troops volunteered to do to serve their u . s . a .. additionally, the enemy flourishes on what the voters do lower back abode, to furnish the enemy this side could pass in direction of the defeat of our little teenagers working in a antagonistic international!

Answer 10

Because the foreign commies that were stirring up the trouble back then are gone. The protesters of yesterday are now the liberal professor's on campus today but they won't let the kids out of class to protest for fear of loosing their jobs if all the kids " Turn on, tune in, and drop out" like they did! Good old liberal academia keeping those kids on a shorter leash.