Why were some people from America against the Vietnam war?

Answer 1

It was probably a war we should not have been in. It is similar to the war now, we shouldn't be there, but if we leave now it will get worse. Just like the pull out in Vientnam, the communists came into the areas we vacated and slaughtered all of the American sympathizers. This is why we can't pull out now, the same thing will happen.

Patriot07....You got it right.

Answer 2

Many people were against the war in Vietnam for many different reasons. First, it was not even a war - although America bombed the North frequently, the U.S. NEVER declared war on Vietnam. Second, many felt that "American boys were doing what the Vietnamese boys should have been doing" - it was someone else's war. Third, many saw the struggle that Vietnam was fighting as a war for independence and unification, they agreed with the North's political agenda. Fourth, by the time the Tet Offensive occurred, many in America felt they were being lied to by their leaders, and that there was "no light at the end of the tunnel", the war would continue and thousands more would have to die. Fifth, many were against the way America was fighting its "policing action" - the use of napalm, Agent Orange, cluster bombs, an assassination program (the CIA's Phoenix Program), which often affected the civilian populations of the South and North.

Answer 3

The Vietnam war killed many young healthy working class people. But people whose children could afford to go to college were exempt from the draft. Such that people began to protest it and leave the country the longer it went on. It was a war that was handed on from other countries. The war often was used to rob the country of its riches not for reasons that were to benefit the US but to benefit the rich and the arms sales companies.

The longer it went on the more reporters were killed showing all the brutality of the war. Reporters went right into the very heart of the war situations and showed the war. The news companies began to show it right at dinner time when people got home from work and would watch television while eating dinner. It was a very disgusting subject we watched while eating dinner often such that we were entirely repulsed by the war and against it. It showed how terrible war really is and brought it into our living rooms. For the first time war was not something that was glamorized it was protrayed for the advertising dollar as it was, horrible.

Answer 4

POLITICS, NOTORIETY, MISUNDERSTANDING,
DISBELIEF AND LOVE, JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THE REASONS. I FEEL THOUGH THAT THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION that the protesters based their anti-war feelings on ,was for the love they had for their children who was serving in the armed forces. They didn't understand that we were willing to give up our lives, for GOD and our country. That's why we joined in the first place. There were a select few who were cowards and deserted or refused to fight and then there was US, who felt embarrassed by all the bleeding heart liberals and when we did come home, all the people who had lost a loved one in Nam, treated us like we should have died too, and everyone, even our own people failed to acknowledge our presence, then began to shy away from us because they thought we would go nuts at any moment. Everyone ignored us and carried on with their own meager little lives, as if nothing significant ever happened in the Viet Nam war. They didn't have to live day to day, fighting for their very lives for over a years time. They didn't have to face an enemy, who was cunning and intent upon taking your life and the worst part about it was that, he or she could be sitting or standing right next to you.Anyway, I got a little off track but, there were more reasons for people opposed to the Viet Nam conflict, this is only my opinion.

Answer 5

1. Men were getting drafted and sent to fight.
2. Eighteen-year-olds were getting drafted, and legally they couldn't vote until they were 21.
3. The war wasn't legally declared by Congress.
4. Politicians were deciding the war strategies, not the commanders in the field.
5. The South Vietnamese Government was so inefficient, corrupt and oppressive that the U.S. could make no progress against the North Vietnamese, who used spies, infiltration, and torture to undermine many gains in the war.

Answer 6

The Vietnam war had extensive TV news coverage, more so than previous conflicts. It brought the reality of war into our living rooms. Our natural aversion to war's brutalities was enhanced. Every war we've fought had American dissenters. This time they were aided by visual images that the masses could see.

Answer 7

For the same reason that some Americans are against the war in Iraq. American soldiers were being killed on foreign soil, it was costing Americans billions of dollars, and it became fairly obvious that the war could not be "won".

Answer 8

A lot of US soldier's died; many/many more lost limbs/were seriously hurt; nearly all had psychological problems adjusting to a non-killing world--it was extremely difficult on families while they were gone and it was difficult dealing with all of the post-war emotions when they returned.

The draft, of course, which targeted the working class and lower class, and sent them to the battlefield whether they liked it or not OR believed in it or not (creating immence emotional and mental issues; none with complete repair)---and the war went on long after it became fiercely unpopular; making matters worse and worse.

People in the homeland even lost their minds and were killing each other (Kent State).

It would be nice if other democratic Nations could defend themselves.

Answer 9

Dear pbnj:

I suppose that it meant losing possibly a love one. And for some it offered them a way out they joined anti-war demonstrations and convinced themselves along the way that they were being true Americans. If there was any humor at all it was this; there was allot of free love going during that time and yet there was no love for us when we returned home. No regrets.

Answer 10

Because war has always been most effective for killing people and taking their stuff. As an agent of greed it works. It's hideous but it works. As a means of crushing religion, ideology or rival political systems, however. Not so good.