Assignment: Quiet American and the Vietnam War

Dilemmas of land and the responsibilities of the West he was determined O do good, non to all undivided just to a clownish (Greene, 18). He believed preventing the penetrate of communism would be beneficial for each(prenominal). ground in the mysterious Asian country as a secret agent, his strain was to import weapons and set up attacks end-to-end the country. One incident describes that twenty-four hours all over Saigon innocent bicycle pumps had be to contain bombs which had g ane off at the stroke of eleven. It was better from their psyche of view to let battalion commove in that the bombs were communist (Greene, 18-135). To stir up anti-communism the U. S. Litany typeset the blame for civilian casualties on the refractory Viet congou, giving a impelling antecedent to the the Statesn people for why they moldiness be stopped. Bloods states how the United States went to and intimately any extent to prevent the half mask Theory The Communists taking South Vietna m and thusly the Philippines and marching across to Hawaii and then on the shores of California (Terry, 156). Consequently, government officials promoted headache with the Second Red Scare to locomote their citizens to take a stand against the encourage spread of communism. American array were placed in Vietnam up until spring 1975.Between that epoch American troops were let unbend in this foreign country. Not wholly was there a huge burnish shock, but also language contend as a barrier. Little efforts to clear the Vietnamese culture became an issue in the state of war. One of the soldiers said, this old man was rail like thorn towards his crib I telephone people said catch but we didnt know no Vietnamese words and so they shot him (Terry, 7). some other case of miscommunication was when a soldier told a girl to did did AMA and her lack of effort to to why she remained on the road she couldnt get by traffic or could non derive his Vietnamese.America showed no mercy and was brutal to anything ND anyone that stood in the way. With their endless supplies of artilleries if something moved in front of you. You fired at it (Terry, 157). wads of the naughtily trained solders were blind in the Jungles of Vietnam, especially at night, aimlessly shaft to any noise. Americans treated the people of Vietnam poorly as well, women especially. Some of the captives were women and while organism integrated they were abused. One of the African American hospital corpsman from the Navy was explaining how he truism a Vietnamese woman get a lit flare shoved in her during questioning (Terry).Pyle never hectically chevvy a female, but saw Phonon (his Vietnamese lover) as an object. Disregarding her input, he was deviation to bring her to America as his wife (Greene). Poor interactions with the Vietnamese people, a prejudicial ambiance was left behind by the Americans. Americans believed they were sincerely helping the Vietnamese. When in verity the peop le of Vietnam did not see the conduct for their intervention. A soldier explained, I played out a great deal of epoch discussing the problem of Vietnam with the Vietnamese people, and what they thought around Americas involvement.I learned right away the AR was not the right thing to from the peoples item of view (Terry, 67). The people of Vietnam could have cared less if they were get military support from America. In situation they did not like the war that was chance on their homeland. They want one day to be much the same as another. They dont want our white skins around relation back them what they want (Greene, 86). They want to go back to their daily simple lives before any war began. Their way of life is tillage of rice patties not whether they have a communist or democratic government.Pyle was get lectured about hat the Vietnamese people wanted, do you think peasants sit and think of God and Democracy Weve brought them up in our ideas (Greene, 87). Before inter vene from America, people of Vietnam were not thinking of which government is suitable for them. deaf(p) Vietnamese said, However win is the one we go with. The Americans are the ones that are half-baked cause they not gain anything. They suffer their lives and their money here(Terry, 67). America did not gain anything directly from this war. There were no significant natural resources and hundreds were dying everyday.As he war got dragged even Americans began to question their intentions of be in the war. While men were trash for a better government, there was hold out back at the home front. racial discrimination was a wide factor quiesce in the United States and that custom was brought overseas. men of color were grouped unneurotic and were in the first place put on the front end. An African American war veteran said, to a greater extent forbiddings were dying in combat than whites, proportionately, primarily because more than pitch-darks were in combat- oriented units, proportionately, than whites (Terry, 167). black-and-blue folks were liquid seen inferior to lacks.There were generation were the whole squad would be of black men (Terry). This prevented white Americans from getting languish during the war. Even though there was inequality, African-Americans were still treated better then in the States. While enlisted, they could hold some genial of power. There werent some(prenominal) opportunities for Where else could a black go and get that label Just like that? (Terry, 221). African- Americans enlisted as an escape of racism and segregation because in the war partition off they are all fighting together under one cause, democracy for the Vietnamese.One big issue in both books for the primer why they lost the war to the Viet Congo was the inability to establish who the foe was. It was Vietnamese fighting Vietnamese- like the civil war. etiolated folks could not identify whom to shoot, It wasnt gauge to be nobody out at night but the marines. Any Vietnamese out at night was the enemy It was easy to get killed by an American (Terry, 7). The soldiers were trained to take down Vietnamese enemy. Everyone looked like the enemy to them. This became problematic of many innocent lives being killed. For this reason,Americans are seen as mechanical beasts across the globe and volition strike at ease in order to win. Americans played different roles in the two books due to the time frame, but had the same goal of fighting for democracy. In The Quiet American being European or white was favorable. An advantage of this war was that a European face turn up in itself a passport on the field a European could not be venture of being an enemy agent (Greene, 42). This is why Pyle was able to tennis shoe around Vietnam with bombs. No one suspected Americans (whites) behind the attacks. Things were a lot more useful for Americans before they sent troops over.Once the military got involved, it was non-stop gunshots after gunshot. It got to the point where soldiers did not know why they were shooting, they were Just told to. somewhat this time, university students also began to question the government along with the upraising of segregation. Congress had a hard time dealing with upset citizens over the wild of Martin Luther King and the questioning of when the war exit end. In the efforts to help Vietnam have a better life under Democracy, America suffered from the high death toll, expenses on weapons and supplies, and the wide years spent overseas.