What led to Vietnam's Unpopularity in the U.S?

Answer 1

It was a war that dragged on and on with no resolution in sight. Sound familiar. I think the draft had a lot to do with with it to, if there was a draft now I think you would see many more people than was in the street this past weekend. Regardless of the people that blame the media it was the people themselves that were against the Vietnam war and the media just covered this.

Answer 2

While there are several reasons for the anti-war sentiment, I believe the biggest reason is the media. I do not mean that the press made a effort to turn the US public against the war, I mean the media coverage of the war in general. A few things to remember. The 60's were an era before the internet,CNN, Fox news and the like. Americans got their information from the 3 major networks. Vietnam was the first war to be brought directly into American living rooms in real time. The Tet offensive was a major turning point in public opnion of the war.

Answer 3

there are several reasons why vietnam was so unpopular. some have already been covered by the other respondents. one that hasn't been covered is that it was the first war that was televised. ordinary americans could see how horrible war was from the confort of their living rooms. it was the first time that dead bodies had ever been shown on tv. although both sides committed atrocities and war crimes, the mai lai massacre was unbelevable brutal. it turned a lot of americans against the war.
other reasons were that america backed france in re-colonizing vietnam after world war two and thus vietnam had a very strong arguement that it was fighting for soverienty. when america entered the war in 62, it was still a valid arguement. ho chi minh had been elected as president in 1957 but the united states didn't like his political stances (socialism) and felt that he was part of a vast communist conspiracy to take over the world.
after living part time in vietnam for the past 10 years, i can tell you that is ludicrious. all vietnam has ever wanted is self determiniation.

sorry pitzen, i didn't see your post before i posted mine. semper fi

Answer 4

From the "Best and the Brightest", down to the low and the slowest, the war in Vietnam became unpopular because the politicians could no longer convince themselves or the American public that the fall of Vietnam was a threat to the security of the United States.

Answer 5

The same reasons that the Iraq war is so unpopular today: it's a war that we don't seem to be able to win and are making no progess in. The American people feel that the government is wasting the lives of its troops by fighting a hopeless war that the people do not believe in.

Now ask me if I think that the American people who feel like this - both those in the Vietnam era and today's America - are full of beans or not.

Answer 6

There was several factors, but I think the majority of it was because of misinformation.

Respected reporter for AP, Pham Xuan An, was a North Vietnamese spy.

Walter Cronkite, a very power and influencial reporter, claimed that the U.S. was losing the Tet offensive, when the U.S. actually won that.

The KGB had given drugs and money to hippies and other bums to launch anti war and anti-nuclear marches. These marches built on themselves. Drugs and money also bought various artists to do anti-war songs. As anti-war songs became popular, other artists started doing them (and in return they got free drugs too).

The draft was hugely unpopular since it was a time when people didn't like being told what to do and it didn't help that the rich and powerful were buying influence to keep their kids out of Vietnam.

Certain soldiers, such as John Kerry, turned on the war for political gain (and he was flip flopping ever since to keep that power).

The U.S. left Vietnam when the administration felt that the South Vietnamese could take care of themselves. Unfortuately the Democratic Congress refused to arm the South Vietnamese so they ran out of ammo and equipment 2 years after the U.S. left. Anybody that was educated, was religious or had any form of power was slaughtered by the North Vietnamese.

Answer 7

Middle Americans, thinkers and patriotic, saw too many kids killed, too many wounded, too many crazed.
Nixon got us out, because he knew history, and the Vietnamese don't like to be messed over by foreigners. No military has beaten them for 800 years.
But mostly, the military was tired of sacrificing troops.
Many resigned their commissions or didn't re-enlist.
I had a cousin, colonel in Marine Corp, and head of pacification zone. He and I discussed the peace movement. He didn't like it, and I didn't like seeing kids torn up.
We never argued.
Tet happened. He resigned.
He was perfect Marine throughout his career. Was even shift supervisor in Pentagon war room. Not something given to a dullard or a weak patriot.

Answer 8

To begin with the fact Kennedy lied about America's involvement there. It was like no one here ever heard od Veitnam and soilders we're writing home to their familys telling them they we're there. Later as ayear after Kennedy was killed LBJ said there was a 'small' struggle with communism there but our involvement was limited and more and more troops were being sent until it reach about 20000 troops and the government began to report to the American people it was taking place. It escaladed with drafted young men but those in collage were exempt from the draft, thus making it a rich man war fought by the poor. Senator's, congressmen, anyone in government office son's we're exempt because like in George Bush case the school was paid off ot keep his grades to a point system he would not be drafted, thus the hate by Vets for Bush. We we're lied to so much duriing this time by our government and like so many have forgotten when collage students had a sit in at Kent State University the national gaurds were called in and they shot and killed unarmed students as they ran from the gaurdsmen, sounds like something you might hear in a third world country dosn't it? Kennedy started a mess, LBJ made it worse and threw it into nixons lap to fix. He was hated for trying to end it and made alot of the money makeing jews mad by ending it and that is why he really resighned. There I said America was like Iraq by killing innocent people that disagreed and the jew reporters put an end to Nixon and that is the SAME thing is happening now.

Answer 9

The same exact thing that is leading to the unpopularity of this one!

Answer 10

it was called us sticking nose where it did not belong....in someone else's problem's, and business, just like us in Iraq. We should have been out of there long ago....but noooooo, yet again we are dictating someone else's country, and telling them how to do things. Vietnam lasted way too long, and we lost way too many people over there.