If you really believe the war is wrong?

Question

Why are there no organized demonstrations like there were in the 60's and 70's concerning the Vietnam war? I support our troops but just don't understand why the American public doesn't speak up when they have strong opinions about the war and the government.

Yes I was born before the vietnam era and I WAS ONE OF THE DEMONSTRATORS!! I see no difference , weather the draft is active or not..our boys are still dieing.

Answer 1

EDIT PER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS...

I'm glad you were one of the protesters -- congratulations. But that doesn't alter the facts, does it? It's easy for you to see no difference to the presense or absense of a draft -- you're a woman, so either way you never faced the possibility of being drafted.

Yes -- they're still dying -- and after the draft ended they were still dying in Vietnam as well. Your question was why no protests, and I gave you the correct answer. Whether you continued to fight the good fight after the draft ended is your concern; but there can be no doubt as to the resounding silence that fell on American campuses after the draft ended.

Sorry if you don't like the answer, but there it is. Regardless of how you would like to be committed to an idealist position, the incontrovertable fact of life is that people are primarily concerned with their own welfare first. And so long as something is perceived as not touching them directly they will focus their attention on those things that do affect them.

Whether you or I think the war in Iraq actually DOES touch their lives, even though they can't see it is irrelevant. Self interest dominates all things -- it always has, and it always will.

P.S... If this sounds like some right wing nonsense to you, please know, the first person I ever heard make this argument was none other than the ACLU activist and self described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler, who gave the same answer in regard to the absense of protest during the first Gulf War.

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There's a very simple explanation -- "The Draft."

In the 1960s a great many people protested the Vietnam war on college campuses; and while they protested on moral grounds, the fact is, they simply didn't want their lives inconvenienced by the draft.

How do I know this?

Because, when the draft ended in 1972, the war was still going on, but the protests stopped immediately.

Reinstitute the draft, and watch the colleges explode. Don't have the draft, and watch the college students get on with their lives. It's all about self-interest, and don't kid yourself about higher motives.

Answer 2

Times change and so do people, a huge part of our society are vets and their families from Viet Nam, and I can tell you a vet from the time that I would kick my kids butts if they acted like that. I think that a lot of us would. Remember he with the gold makes the rules. I should also tell you that a great many of the people that are in this insurrection are the butcher, baker and candle stick maker for your town and will be coming back as soon as they leave Iraq, they are no professional soldiers. Now people feel like it is John or Johnny from accross the street. There is also the other side of this, durning Viet Nam, the democrats were totally in charge, a democrat President and the congress was controled be the democrats also. Now the populace doesn't need to deminstrate, It has congress doing it for them. I would make a bet with you, if you could pole the congress and were to ask how many of you served in Viet Nam, most would say that they didn't serve. I would also bet that a number of the deminstrated against the war and called me and my comrades at arms, "Baby Killer." There is another factor that enters into to this discussion. The TET Offensive 1968 the war was over and the President and the congress wouldn't let Gen. Westmoreland finish the job. You don't need to take my word for it check history and you will find the same thing. The last bit of this debate is that there was in place then some thing called the draft, if you were 18 years old you could be drafted and sent to Viet Nam, the interlectuals then felt like they were either to good and and were either above the war or cowards, I lean toward their being cowards. The young people of today joined on their own and have served proudly.

Note;
You were one of the protesters, I worked for years in the Postal Service with a guy like you, he took all that he could get from Uncle Sam but he gave nothing, He ran for a political office last year and was soundly defeated. I will point out that he was a coward then and is still a coward, are YOU?

Answer 3

there is a big difference; terrorists are not human they are blood-thirsty animals who kill anything in their path. so does a hunter wait until it is attacked before he kills the animal? no. He goes after it and tries to kill it before it can cause any harm. I'll admit the war hasn't gone perfect, but what war has. Name one where everything went exactly according to plan and there was no change of course or approach? Zero. It's very easy to go back and say well u shoulda done this, u shoulda done that. but who the hel.l was saying that 4 years ago? who had an alternate plan? the dems didn't, they supported it before we went over there. now all of a sudden it gets close to election time (04') and the war is totally out of hand, bush can't do anything right. we need to pull out. coincidence, i don't think so. Honestly, where were the protests in 03 when we were first departing to Iraq? i didn't c any on tv. i think the problem is, everyone thought this war would be a piece of cake and we'd be outta there in a couple hears. I for one, didn't believe that i estim,ated 5 years, but it looks like it may l;ast a little longer than that. but i don't care if it takes 10 years, as long as we stabilize the middle east and drive these terrorists into the ground.

Answer 4

i detect it irritating how hardly violence is seen an appropriate selection for the determination of conflict... conflict is an extremely needed evil. It helps administration inhabitants and is perhaps the main helpful engine for substitute this worldwide has ever usual. not something substantial has ever been replaced by using wooden signs and indications and yellow ribbons...yet an M-sixteen and a bombing raid? subject solved...a great variety of the time besides. Now if in basic terms human beings might desire to learn how to understand that there is that one among those element as an un-beatable enemy. Edit: BTW, for those of you anti-conflict human beings...with out conflict, the U. S. might nevertheless be an english colony, under rule of a king from around the seas...purely FYI.

Answer 5

Because our government has succeeded in keeping the American public preoccupied with other things:

* Trying to make ends meet while being forced to pay outrageous gasoline prices fixed by price-gouging 'big oil';
* Wondering what will happen next with Rosie O'Donnell, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and the 'American Idol';
* Worrying about the pet food they feed their dogs;
* Battling endless gridlock on poorly-constructed roads and dilapidated bridges;
* Fearing the end of the world due to global warming and other ecological issues that have been ignored for far too long;
* Dealing with children who are sexually active thanks to the sex-obsessed entertainment and tv commercial industries that think it's okay to make 10-year-olds 'sexy';
* Fretting over whether or not they'll have a job next week, or if the factory they work for will relocate to Mexico;
* Questioning why voted for George W. Bush in the first place, or why they voted for Democrats who promised an end to this insipid Iraq 'war' that was started purely for the sake of OIL and WAR PROFTEERING;
* Crying over the unjustifiable deaths of 675,000 Iraqis and 3,400 U.S. soldiers.

We are "too busy" to demonstrate or protest against our government, even though the Constitution says we have that right - and duty - to do so. We are "too afraid" that such actions might have consequences from the 'government' and its 'crack' Department of Homeland Security.

Benjamin Franklin once said: "When people fear the government, it is tyranny; when government fears the people, it is liberty." Because of our lack of protest, we are like lobsters languishing in a pot of lukewarm water. Only when the water starts to boil will we scream in agony over our own apathy. Then it will be too late....because, by then, we will be under the rule of an oppressive and tyrannical government, which exactly what our founding fathers wanted to prevent when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and our U.S. Constitution. -RKO- 05/26/07

Answer 6

people do not demonstrate any more, but we do honor our forces. this [war] is a topic of convrsation almost everywhere and i have not heard one person here say they want the troops to stay in iraq or any where in the area. it was a sad day when mr. bush declared war. this is a deadly war for this country and all the countries involved and look how many of our allies have backed off from us. bring them home and quit plying us with ideas that come from a man who made a statement that he wanted to into the history books as a "war president" well he made it at the cost of so many lives, a drain on our economy and alienating our allies... good work mr.bush..i refuse to call him president. he is a dishonor to the country and American citizens.

Answer 7

The draft was in effect back then...even worse was we lost nearly 60,000 U.S. troops and over 2 million vietnamese deaths. Compared to 'Nam, the war today is just a joke. It was never a war, and the Bush administration are all well aware of that fact. They, like all of our cabinet leaders, have always had hidden agendas...
And the only one that can get away with sharing the truth with us is George Carlin. That's because he has us laughing at the truth. Put Dick Gregory up on stage using the words of George Carlin, and his status with the government as a Political activist only gets worse...next thing you know he becomes a target once again.

Answer 8

I believe that the american public realises that their voices although powerful hold no sway with out physical force.

the pen is mightier then the sword but the bullet is mightier then the pen.

the problem comes with sence of duty in the eyes of the government, the American Government at this moment at least sees the need to protect its people from the Terror of those who wish us harm. such as the Taliban or other Terriorist networks. so, the government is going to push its limits by expending all they feel is nessessary to complete that goal of national security even if that means disrutping the lifes of countless people all over the world.

We Americans might not always believe its right but there does come a point when people of a nation become so dominated by a ruler who is sadistic and heartless they fear to cry for help and learn to live a life of oppression. that dosent really give us the right to over throw the leader.. but coming from a nation who is not completely Ruled by a dictator we see things differently then those who are.

the american people dont want to stand against it because they know nothing will be done.. then again.. to stand against bush and his War against terror would be supporting it in the eyes of the government... and .. well.. that would make you a traitor to the united states government.. wouldnt it?

so again.. we may not be completely ruled by a dictator... but it is the fear of feeling we are betraying our country... but at least we stll have free speech...

for now...

Heil Bush! =\

Answer 9

There have been demonstrations, but like in the past, they are a waste of time and have no bearing on anything. The ones you are talking about were motivated by the Draft.

Answer 10

The reason is no one wants to go to Washington, DC on a workday and lose a day of pay to do something that won't make any difference.

Weren't there people out protesting againt the war right after 9/11, before we even had troops in the area?